x\\ 


THE   MEMOIRS 


OF 


AN   AMERICAN   CITIZEN 


THE*  MEMOIRS 


AN  AMERICAN  CITIZEN 


BY 


ROBERT    HERRICK 

AUTHOR  OF  "THE  WEB  OF  LIFP:,"  "THE  REAL  WORLD, 
''THE  COMMON  LOT,"  ETC. 


Of   THE 

UNIVERSITY 

of 


Wefo  gorfc 
THE    MACMILLAN   COMPANY 

LONDON:  MACMILLAN  &  CO.,  LTD. 
1905 

All  rights  reserved 


COPYRIGHT,  1905, 
BY  THE  CURTIS   PUBLISHING  COMPANY. 

COPYRIGHT,  1905, 
BY  THE   MACMILLAN   COMPANY. 

Set  up  and  electrotyped.     Published  July,  1905. 


Xortoooti  $3rfS8 

J.  S.  dishing  &  Co.  —  Berwick  &  Smith  Co. 
Norwood,  Mass.,  U.S.A. 


TO 
WILL   PAYNE 


"O  Commander  of  the  Faithful,"  said  the  other,  "shall  I  tell 
thee  what  I  have  seen  with  my  eyes  or  what  I  have  only  heard 
tell  ?  " 

*•  If  thou  hast  seen  aught  worth  telling,"  replied  the  Kbalif, 
" let  us  hear  it:  for  report  is  not  like  eye-witness." 

"O  Commander  of  the  Faithful,"  said  the  other,  "lend  me 
thine  ear  and  thine  heart." 

"O  Ibn  Mensour."  answered  the  Khalif,  "behold  I  am  listen 
ing  to  thee  with  mine  ears,  and  looking  at  thee  with  mine  eyes, 
and  attending  to  thee  with  mine  heart." 


vi 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  THE  LAKE  FRONT  IN  CHICAGO         ....         1 

IT.  THE  HARRISON  STREET  POLICE  COURT    ...       12 

III.  JASONVILLE,  INDIANA        .         .         .         .         .         .19 

IV.  THE  PIERSONS 37 

V.     A  MAN'S  BUSINESS 53 

VI.     FIRST  BLOOD 61 

VII.     THE  BOMB 74 

VIII.  THE  TRIAL  OF  THE  ANARCHISTS      ....       82 

IX.  ANOTHER  BOOST        .......       98 

X.     LOVE 104 

XL  MARRIAGE          .         .         .         ...         .         .124 

XII.  AN  HONORABLE  MERCHANT      .....     134 

XIII.  THE  WILL  OF  A  WOMAN 149 

XIV.  THE  FIRST  MOVE .     167 

XV.  THE  ATLAS  ox  THE  FLOOR       .         .         .         .         .     175 

XVI.     THE  STRUGGLE '  .185 

XVII.     No  GOSPEL  GAME 196 

XVIII.  THE  STRIKE       .         .         .         .    '     .         .         .         .204 

XIX.  DENOUNCED        .         .         .         .         .         .         .         -211 

XX.     TREACHERY 219 

vii 


CON  TK  NTS 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

XXI.  A  SQITKEZE     ........     230 

XXII.  JiiHiMKvrs     .                  .        .         .        .         .         .237 

XXIII.  1  1.  \ITIXKSS       .....         .         .         .252 

XXIV.  WAR        .......         .         .     20r> 

XXV.  Tin-:   LAST  DITCH    .         .         .         ...         .         .270 

XXVI.  VICTORY           ......         .         .288 

XXVII.  DOI-UTS  .........     21)3 

XXVIII.  A  NKW  AMBITION           ......     30  1 

XXIX.  THK  SENATORSHIP.         ......     315 

XXX.  THK  COST       ........     327 

XXXI.  FrimiKii  COST        .......     330 

XXXII.  THE  END                                                                             347 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

"Feeling  that  I  had  come  to  the  end  of  things  in  Chicago 
mighty  quick" 

"  I  believe  she  would  have  let  me  kiss  her  had  I  wanted  to 

then"         ........  •       24 

'•  Earning  mighty  little  but  my  keep  " 

"  '  I  guess  she  don't  want  much  to  see  you  '  ' 

"  '  I  want  you  to  take  this  '  "  . 

"  'Ma  PiersonV  "  ....... 

"  The  Enterprise  Market  " 
'"That's  Strauss!'"       . 
"  '  Do  you  hear  ?  '  the  Irishman  roared  " 
"My  part  was  to  drive  a  wagon  for  Dround  at  fifteen  a 
week"        ....•• 

"  '  What  do  you  know  about  sausage  ?  '  he  asked  " 

'"All  right,'  he  called  out,  '  we'll  take  his  deal  '  ' 

"  His  long  arms  twitched  with  horror"  . 

"From  another  man   it  might  have  been  just  slobber,  but 


Henry  I.  Dround  meant  it,  every  word  "  . 
ix 


\  ILU-STIIATIMNS 

PAOl 

" 4  My  1  I  tell  you  I'll  be  glad  to  get  home  to-night '"  .  .  «.»i 
44  Big  John  was  one  of  the  first  to  welcome  me  back  "  .  .  00 

"The  door  of  the  inner  office  was  pulled  back  and  Strauss 

himself  walked  into  the  room"         .  102 

44  4  Why,  of  course,  you  are  the  Mr.  Harrington  who —    But 

you  have  changed  ! '  "        .         .         .         .         .  106 

44  She  was  reading  me  like  a  book  of  large  print "  .  .  .116 
"  4 1  have  been  offering  your  young  man  some  advice,  Sarah  '  "  119 
"  I  could  see  that  they  would  come  together  very  soon  "  .  126 
"  '  You  aren't  much  troubled  with  scruples,  Van  ! '  "  .  .137 

"  '  I  paid  the  right  people  ninety-five  hundred  dollars.     Now 

what  are  you  going  to  do  about  it  ?  '  "      .        .        .         .142 

41 '  Young  feller,  do  you  reckon  you  can  buck  up  against  me 

and  the  Strauss  crowd  with  that  one-horse  rig  ?  '"  .         .     153 

"  '  I  think  you  could  put  up  the  right  kind  of  a  fight,'  she 

remarked  quietly  "    .....  160 

"That  comedy  took  place  on  the  court-house  steps  according 

tolaw" .172 

44 1  pointed  out  the  great  currents  of  world  trade  "          .         .     181 
14  The  black  rocks  starting  right  out  of  the  water"          .        .189 

"  '  When  the  time  comes  that  you  want  help,  when  you  can 
not  go  on  alone — '"         ....  jp4 

44  He  undertook  to  give  me  a  lesson  then  and  there  on  the 

rights  of  the  anarchist " 208 

44 '  You  have  done  something  the  taste  of  which  will  never 

get  out  of  your  mouth '".         .  223 


"  '  When  a  man  comes  out  of  the  alley  and  puts  a  pistol  in 
your  face,  and  asks  for  all  the  money  you  have  on  you, 
you  don't  wait  to  see  where  you  hit  him,  do  you  ?  '"  .  228 

"  '  Only  this,'  I  said  slowly,  '  I  don't  sell  out  to  you '"  .         .     234 

"  '  Couldn't  you  find  any  one  else  to  do  your  dirty  work  but 

your  own  brother  ?''         .         .         .         .         .         .         .212 

"  Somehow  years  had  gone  by  in  that  evening"      .         .         .     249 

"  '  No,  child,  you  are  wrong  !     There  is  no  truth  in  your  cruel 

words' "    .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .     259 

"To-day  I  should  like  to  slip  back  once  more  to  the  bum  that 

landed  in  Chicago  —  unattached,  unburdened,  unbound"     271 

"  It  was  a  messenger  boy  with  a  delayed  telegram  "        .         .     275 
"  '  For  this  is  the  last  ditch,  sure  enough  ! '  "  .         .         .         .     278 

"'If  you  grasp  them   in  a  strong  hand,   they  will  become 

diamonds''        .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .     284 

"  l.  There  isn't  enough  money  coined  to  bring  me  to  him  '  "    .     292 

"'And  we  are  the  crowd  that's  got  the  combination  to  the 

safe'" o     312 

"  Men  paused  to  read  the  bulletin,  and  I  stopped,  too  "  .         .     321 

"  '  He's  the  man  who  sold  scraps  and  offal  to  the  Government 

f  or  canned  beef  — '" 322 

"  '  So  you  see  there  is  nothing,  Van,  that  you  can  give  me 

that  I  should  want  to  take '" 333 

"  'Do  you  remember  how  I  used  to  wash  while  you  wiped, 

when  we  wanted  to  get  out  buggy-riding,  May  ? '  "  .         .     341 

"'It  was   good  sausage,    Slo  !      At  least  it  was  when  we 

made  it'"  ,350 


CHAPTER 

THE    LAKE    FRONT    IN 


I  sleep  out  — A  companion  —  Hunting  a  job  —  Free  lunch  and  a 
bad  friend —  Steeled  store  and  what  happened  there  —  A  positive 
young  woman  —  Number  twelve 

IT  was  a  raw,  blustering  September  night  when  I 
rounded  up  for  the  first  time  at  the  lake  front  in 
Chicago.  There  was  just  a  strip  of  waste  land,  in  those 
days,  between  the  great  avenue  and  the  railroad  tracks 
that  skirted  the  lake.  In  1870  there  were  no  large  hotels 
or  skyscrapers  fronting  a  tidy  park ;  nothing  but  some 
wooden  or  brick  houses,  and,  across  the  tracks,  the  waves 
lapped  away  at  the  railroad  embankment.  I  was  some 
thing  more  than  twenty,  old  enough,  at  any  rate,  to  have 
earned  a  better  bed  than  a  few  feet  of  sand  and  sooty 
grass  in  a  vacant  lot.  It  was  the  first  night  I  had  ever 
slept  out,  —  at  least,  because  there  was  no  place  I  had  a 
right  to  go  to.  All  that  day  I  had  been  on  the  tramp 
from  Indiana,  and  reached  the  city  with  only  a  few  cents 
in  my  pockets. 

I  was  not  the  only  homeless  wanderer  by  any  means. 
Early  in  the  evening  a  lot  of  bums  began  to  drop  in, 
slinking  down  the  avenue  or  coming  over  from  the  city 


•J        TIII-:  MK.MMIKS  OF  AN  AMERICAN  CITIZEN 

ih rough  the  cross  streets.  It  was  early  in  the  season; 
luit  to-night  the  east  wind  raked  the  park  and  shook 
gusts  of  rain  from  the  lo\v  clouds,  making  it  comfort 
able  to  keep  moving.  So  we  wandered  up  and  down 
that  sandy  strip,  footing  it  like  dogs  on  the  hunt  for 
a  hole,  and  eying  each  other  gloomily  when  we  passed. 

Early  in  the  evening  a  big  wooden  building  at  the  north 
end  was  lighted  up,  and  some  of  us  gathered  around 
the  windows  and  hung  there  under  the  eaves  watching 
the  carriages  drive  up  to  the  door  to  leave  their  freight. 
There  was  a  concert  in  the  hall,  and  after  it  began  I 
crawled  up  into  the  arch  of  a  window  where  I  was  out 
of  the  rain  and  could  hear  the  music.  Before  the  con 
cert  was  over  a  watchman  caught  sight  of  me  and 
snaked  me  to  the  ground,  lie  was  making  a  round 
of  the  building,  stirring  up  the  bums  who  had  found 
any  hole  out  of  the  reach  of  the  wind.  So  we  began 
once  more  that  dreary,  purposeless  tramp  to  keep  from 
freezing. 

"Kind  of  chilly  !  "  a  young  fellow  called  out  to  me. 

"  Chillier  before  morning,  all  right,"  I  growled  back, 
glad  enough  to  hear  a  voice  speaking  to  me  as  if  it 
expected  an  answer. 

"First  night?"  he  inquired,  coming  up  close  to  me  in 
a  friendly  way.  "'Tain't  so  bad  —  when  it's  warm  and 
the  wind  don't  blow." 

We  walked  on  together  slowly,  as  though  we  were 
looking  for  something.  When  we  came  under  the  light 
of  the  lamps  in  the  avenue  we  eyed  each  other.  My 
tramp  companion  was  a  stout,  honest-looking  young 


THE    LAKE    FRONT    IX    CHICAGO  3 

fellow  about  my  age.  His  loose-fitting  black  clothes 
and  collarless  shirt  made  me  think  that  he  too  had 
come  from  the  country  recently. 

"  Been  farming  ?  "  I  ventured. 

"Pine  Lake,  across  there  in  Michigan  —  that's  where  1 
come  from.  Hostetter,  Ed  Hostetter,  that's  my  name." 

We  faced  about  and  headed  toward  the  lake  without 
any  purpose.  He  told  me  his  story  while  we  dragged 
ourselves  back  and  forth  along  the  high  board  fence 
that  guarded  the  railroad  property.  He  had  got  tired 
of  working  on  his  father's  farm  for  nothing  and  had 
struck  out  for  the  big  city,  Hostetter  had  a  married  aunt, 
so  he  told  me,  living  somewhere  in  Chicago,  and  he  had 
thought  to  stay  with  her  until  he  could  get  a  start  on 
fortune's  road.  But  she  had  moved  from  her  old  address, 
and  his  money  had  given  out  before  he  knew  it.  For  the 
last  week  he  had  been  wandering  about  the  streets,  hunt 
ing  a  job,  and  looking  sharp  for  that  aunt. 

"  We  can't  keep  this  up  all  night ! "  I  observed  when 
his  story  had  run  out. 

"Last  night  T  found  an  empty  over  there  in  the  yards, 
but  some  of  the  railroad  fellers  got  hold  of  me  toward 
morning  and  made  me  jump  high." 

A  couple  of  tramps  were  crouching  low  beside  the  fence 
just  ahead  of  us.  "Watch  7em  ! "  my  companion  whis 
pered. 

Suddenly  they  burrowed  down  into  the  sand  and  dis 
appeared.  We  could  hear  their  steps  on  the  other  side 
of  the  fence ;  then  a  gruff  voice.  In  a  few  moments 
back  they  came,  burrowing  up  from  under  the  fence. 


4  THE    MEMOIRS    OF    AN     A  M  KIIICA  N    CITIZKN 

"That's  what  yon  «jrt  !"    I'M  grunted. 

Well,  in  tht-  end  we  had  to  make  the  best  of  it,  and  we 
camped  right  there,  hugging  the  fence  for  protection 
against  the  east  wind.  \Ye  burrowed  into  the  loose  sand, 
piling  it  up  on  the  open  side  until  we  were  well  covered. 
Now  and  then  a  train  rushing  past  shook  us  awake  with 
its  heavy  tread.  Toward  morning  there  were  fewer 
trains,  and  though  it  began  to  mist  pretty  hard,  and  the 
water  trickled  into  our  hole,  I  managed  to  get  some 
sleep. 

At  daylight  we  got  up  and  shook  ourselves,  and  then 
wandered  miserably  into  the  silent  streets  of  the  down 
town  district.  Between  us  we  had  fifteen  cents,  and  with 
that  we  got  some  coffee  and  a  piece  of  bread  at  a  little 
shanty  stuck  on  the  side  of  the  river.  A  fat  man  with  a 
greasy,  pock-marked  face  served  us,  and  I  can  see  him 
now  as  he  looked  us  over  and  winked  to  the  policeman 
who  was  loafing  in  the  joint. 

After  our  coffee  we  began  the  hunt  for  an  odd  job,  and 
Ed  talked  of  his  hopes  of  finding  that  aunt  —  Mrs.  Pierson. 
We  kept  together  because  we  were  so  lonesome,  I  sup 
pose,  and  Ed  was  good  company  —  jolly  and  happy- 
hearted.  That  night  we  slept  on  the  back  porch  of  an 
empty  house  'way  south,  where  the  streets  were  broad, 
and  there  were  little  strips  of  green  all  about  the  houses. 
The  owners  of  the  large  house  we  picked  out  must  have 
been  away  for  the  summer.  Toward  morning  we  heard 
some  one  stirring  around  inside,  opening  and  shutting 
doors,  and  we  made  up  our  minds  there  were  thieves  at 
work  in  the  house. 


THE    LAKE    FRONT    IN    CHICAGO  5 

Ed  stayed  to  watch,  while  I  ran  out  to  the  avenue  to 
get  some  help.  It  was  a  long  time  before  I  could  find  a 
policeman,  and  when  we  got  back  to  the  house  there  was 
Hostetter  sitting  on  the  curbstone  hugging  his  belly.  One 
of  the  thieves  had  come  out  of  the  house  the  back  way, 
and  when  Ed  tried  to  hold  him  had  given  him  such  a  kick 
that  Ed  was  glad  to  let  him  go.  The  officer  I  had  brought 
evidently  thought  we  were  playing  some  game  on  him  or 
weren't  quite  straight  ourselves,  and  he  tried  to  take  us 
to  the  station.  We  gave  him  a  lively  chase  for  a  couple 
of  blocks ;  the  last  we  saw  of  him  he  was  shaking  his  fist 
at  us  and  cussing  loud  enough  to  wake  the  dead. 

That  day  was  much  like  the  one  before,  only  worse. 
The  weather  was  mean  and  drizzly.  I  earned  a  quarter 
lugging  a  valise  across  the  city,  and  we  ate  that  up  at 
breakfast.  At  noon  we  turned  into  one  of  the  flashy 
saloons  on  State  Street.  We  hoped  to  be  overlooked  in 
the  crowd  before  the  bar  while  we  helped  ourselves  to  the 
crackers  and  salt  fish.  We  were  making  out  pretty  well 
when  a  man  who  was  standing  near  the  bar  and  drinking 
nothing  spied  us  and  came  over  to  the  lunch  table. 

"  Wet  day,"  he  observed  sociably. 

"  That's  about  it,"  I  replied  cautiously,  looking  the 
man  over. 

lie  wore  a  long  black  coat,  a  dirty  light-colored  waist 
coat,  and  a  silk  hat,  underneath  which  little  brown  curls 
sprouted  out.  He  fed  himself  delicately  out  of  the  com 
mon  bowl,  as  if  the  free  lunch  didn't  tempt  his  appetite. 

"  Seeing  the  town  ?  "  he  asked  next,  looking  pointedly 
at  Ed's  dirty  shoes. 


15  THE    MKMnlUS    <>F    AN     AMKIMCAN    CITIXMN 

Some  part  of  it,  I  reckon,"  I'M  laughed. 

"  Looking  for  a  job  ?  " 

"  You  bet  we're  looking !  "  Ed  growled  back.  "  Know 
where  we  can  find  it  ?  " 

Before  long  we  were  on  easy  terms  with  the  stranger. 
He  insisted  on  paying  for  beer  all  around,  and  on  the 
strength  of  that  Ed  and  I  made  another  raid  on  a  platter 
of  beans.  Dinner  that  night  didn't  look  very  promising. 

"It  seems  to  me  I  know  of  the  very  thing  for  you 
young  fellers,"  our  friend  finally  remarked,  and  we 
pricked  up  our  ears. 

He  said  he  had  a  friend  in  one  of  the  large  stores  on 
State  Street,  who  had  found  fine  places  for  some  young 
men  he  had  recommended.  They  were  making  big 
money  now.  Ed's  eyes  began  to  glisten.  But  suddenly 
another  idea  struck  our  good  friend.  He  lowered  his 
voice  and  drew  us  to  one  side.  Would  one  of  us  like 
a  fat  job,  where  there  wasn't  much  work  except  special 
times a  gay  kind  of  place,  where  we  could  see  some 
thing  of  life?  Ed  was  pretty  eager,  but  1  rather  sus 
pected  what  he  was  after. 

"I  guess  the  other  place  is  more  what  we  want,"  I 
said. 

"Ain't  up  to  snuff  just  yet?"  he  giggled.  "Wait  a 
week  or  two,  and  you  will  be  as  quick  as  the  next  one." 

As  we  made  no  reply,  and  I  was  moving  toward  the 
door,  he  remarked  :  — 

"Sure,  it's  stopped  raining!  Let's  be  moving  up  tin- 
street,  and  see  what  my  friend  can  <!<>  for  you." 

So  we  started  up  State  Street  with  tin-  man  in  the  silk 


THE  LAKE  FKONT  IN  CHICAGO          7 

hat.  At  the  door  of  a  big  dry-goods  store,  where  we  had 
tried  unsuccessfully  that  morning  to  obtain  work,  he 
remarked :  — 

"We'll  just  look  in  here.  I  know  a  man  in  the  gents' 
underwear  department,  and  pVaps  he  can  help  you." 

I  didn't  think  it  very  likely,  for  I  hadn't  much  faith  in 
our  smooth  acquaintance.  But  there  was  nothing  better 
to  do.  So  we  all  passed  in  through  the  heavy  doors  of 
Steele  &  Co.'s  establishment.  Even  on  that  rainy  after 
noon  the  place  was  pretty  well  filled,  mostly  with 
women,  who  were  bunched  together  at  certain  counters. 
We  had  some  trouble  in  following  our  guide,  who 
squirmed  into  the  thick  of  every  jam.  I  began  to  think 
that,  having  talked  big  to  two  green  young  fellows,  he 
now  wanted  to  give  us  the  slip.  But  I  determined,  just 
to  tease  him,  he  shouldn't  get  out  of  our  sight  as  easily 
as  he  thought  to. 

The  "  gents'  underwear  "  department,  as  I  happened  to 
have  observed  in  the  morning,  was  on  the  State  Street 
side,  near  the  door  which  we  had  just  entered.  Never 
theless,  our  friend  was  leading  us  away  from  that  part 
and  seemed  to  prefer  the  most  crowded  aisles,  where 
"ladies'  goods"  were  displayed.  At  the  glove  counter 
there  was  a  press  of  women  who  were  trying  to  get  near 
a  heap  of  ninety-eight-cent  gloves.  Our  guide  was  just 
ahead  of  us  at  this  point,  and  near  his  elbow  I  noticed  an 
old  gentleman  and  a  young  lady.  The  latter,  who  was 
trying  on  a  pair  of  gloves,  kept  asking  the  old  gentleman 
a  string  of  questions.  He  was  smiling  at  her  without 
taking  the  trouble  to  reply.  The  girl  was  pretty  and 


8  T1IK    MHMOIKS    OF    AN     AMERICAN    CITI/KN 

nicely  dressed,  and  T  suppose  I  must  have  looked  at  her 
hard,  for  she  suddenly  glanced  up  at  uie  and  then  turned 
her  back  and  faced  the  counter.  As  she  turned  I  noticed 
something  white  drop  from  her  hand,  and  I  pressed 
closer  to  her  to  pick  it  up.  It  was  a  little  handkerchief. 
As  I  reached  down  I  saw  a  thin  hand  stretch  out  around 
the  young  lady's  waist  and  then  give  a  little  jerk.  I  had 
just  straightened  myself  with  the  handkerchief  in  my 
fingers  when  I  head  the  young  lady  exclaim  :  - 
"  Father  !  My  purse  has  gone  !  " 

"  Why,  why  !  "  the  old  man  stammered.     "  Your  purse 
has  gone  ?     Where  could  it  have  gone  to?  " 

Just  then  some  one  grabbed  my  arm,  and  a  voice  said 
in  my  ear:  — 

"  Not  so  slick  as  that,  young  feller!  " 
A   man  who  looked  like  an  official  of  the  store  had 
hold  of  me. 

"Don't   make    any    fuss,  and    hand   over   that   lady's 
purse,"  he  added  in  a  low  voice. 

"  I  haven't  got  her  purse.     I  was  just  going  to  give  her 

this  handkerchief,  which  I  saw  her  drop,"  I  protested, 

holding  up  the  silly  thing  I  had  picked  from  the  floor. 

"  That's  all  right,"  the  man  said  with  a  grin.     "  And 

now  hand  over  the  purse,  too." 

He  began  to  feel  my  pockets,  and,  of  course,  I  resented 
his  familiarity,  and,  like  a  country  Jake,  kicked  up  a 
muss  then  and  there.  A  crowd  began  to  collect.  The 
floor-manager  rushed  up  at  this  point,  and  between  them 
I  was  hustled  across  the  store  and  into  one  of  the  pri 
vate  offices.  The  first  thing  I  heard  when  I  got  there 


THE   LAKE    FRONT    IN    CHICAGO 

was  the  old  gentleman  just  behind  me,  stuttering,  too 
much  excited  to  talk  plain. 

"  Yes,  yes,  iny  daughter's  purse !     She  just  lost  it !  " 

"That's  all  right,"  I  said.  "And  I  saw  the  fellow 
who  took  it.  .  .  ." 

"  I  saw  this  man  take  it,"  I  heard  the  girl  say  to  the 
manager. 

"  Yes,  yes,  my  daughter  saw  the  thief  take  her  purse," 
the  old  man  put  in  excitedly. 

"  I  was  watching  him  all  the  time,"  said  the  man  who 
had  laid  hold  of  me  first.  "  He  came  in  at  the  State 
Street  entrance  a  few  minutes  ago  with  a  green  one  and 
an  old  sneak.  I  didn't  think  he  had  the  time  to  pass 
the  stuff  over." 

I  was  cool  now,  and  laughed  as  the  manager  and  the 
detective  went  through  my  pockets  carefully. 

"  The  old  one's  got  the  stuff  fast  enough,"  the  detec 
tive  remarked  disgustedly.  "  Shall  we  have  this  one 
locked  up,  Mr.  Marble?" 

"  You'll  do  it  at  your  risk !  "  I  put  in  loudly. 

"  Where's  the  young  woman  ?  "  the  manager  demanded. 

"It  happened  just  while  my  daughter  was  buying  a 
pair  of  gloves,"  the  old  man  began  to  chatter.  "You 
were  asking  me,  my  love  .  .  ." 

The  young  woman  looked  a  little  confused,  I  thought, 
and  not  so  sure  of  herself.  But  she  answered  the 
manager's  questions  by  saying  promptly:  — 

"  He  must  have  taken  it !  " 

"  You  saw  him  ?  "  the  detective  questioned. 

«  Yes  —  I  must  have  seen  him  —  I  saw  him,  of  course ! " 


10        Till-     MKMOIUS    OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

"  I  don't  believe  you  could  have  seen  me,  ma'am,"  I  said 
with  a  grin,  "for  you  had  just  turned  your  back  on  me." 

"I low  did  you  know  that?"  she  asked  triumphantly. 

"  I  know  it  because  when  I  first  began  to  look  at  you, 
you  didn't  like  it,  and  so  you  turned  your  back  on  me 
to  show  it." 

"  You  know  too  much,  young  man,"  the  manager 
remarked.  "You'll  prosecute  him  ?  "  he  added,  turning 
to  the  old  man. 

"Prosecute?  Why,  yes,  of  course,"  he  stammered; 
"though,  if  he  hasn't  the  purse  — " 

"Come  on,  m'boy,"  the  detective  said  to  me.  "You 
and  I'll  take  a  stroll  down  the  street  and  find  a  good 
night's  lodging  for  you." 

That  was  before  the  day  of  patrol  wagons.  So  the 
detective  locked  his  right  arm  securely  in  my  left,  and 
in  this  intimate  fashion  we  walked  through  the  streets 
to  the  police  station. 

When  we  reached  that  foul-smelling  pen  we  were  kept 
waiting  by  a  large  "order"  that  had  just  been  rounded 
up  from  a  gambling-house  in  the  neighborhood.  There 
were  about  twenty  men  and  women  in  this  flock.  They 
were  filing,  one  by  one,  before  the  desk-sergeant.  I 
had  never  heard  such  a  family  gathering  of  names.  They 
were  all  Smiths,  P.rowns,  and  Joneses,  and  they  all  lived 
a  good  way  from  town,  out  in  the  fifty-hundreds,  whnv 
there  are  many  vacant  lots.  At  the  end  of  the  lih-  there 
was  a  little  unshaven  Jew,  who  seemed  very  mad  about 
it  all.  He  was  the  only  one  who  had  any  money;  he 


THE    LAKE    FRONT    IN    CHICAGO  11 

gave  up  a  fat  roll  of  bills  that  took  the  officer  some  time 
to  count. 

"  I  know  who  did  this !  "  the  Jew  sputtered  at  the 
man  behind  the  desk.  "  And  I  can  make  it  hot  for  some 
of  youse,  all  right." 

"  That's  good,"  the  sergeant  replied  pleasantly.  "  An 
other  time  you'll  have  the  sense  to  know  when  you  are 
well  off." 

I  thought  this  was  fatherly  advice  addressed  to  the 
Jew  for  his  moral  health.  I  congratulated  myself  that 
I  had  fallen  into  clean  hands.  So  when  my  turn  came, 
I  said  to  the  desk-sergeant  confidentially :  — 

"  I  am  quite  innocent !  " 

"  Is  that  so,  m'son  ?  "  he  remarked  pleasantly. 

"They  haven't  any  right  to  arrest  me.     I  was  — 

"Of  course,  of  course!  Keep  all  that  for  his  Honor 
to-morrow  morning.  What's  your  name,  m'son  ?  " 

"E.  V.  Harrington,"  I  replied  quite  innocently. 

"And  where  do  you  hail  from?  " 

"  Jasonville,  Indiana." 

It  did  not  occur  to  me  then  that,  guilty  or  innocent, 
it  made  no  difference  after  I  had  given  my  real  name 
and  home.  Thanks  to  the  enterprise  of  metropolitan 
journalism,  the  folks  in  Jasonville,  Indiana,  would  be 
reading  at  their  breakfast  to-morrow  morning  all  about 
how  Van  Harrington  had  been  taken  up  as  a -thief. 

"  Here !  "  the  fat  sergeant  called  out  to  one  of  the 
officers,  after  I  had  handed  over  to  his  care  the  few  odds 
and  ends  that  I  still  had  about  me;  "  show  the  gent  from 
Indiany  to  number  twelve." 


CHAPTER  II 


THE    HARRISOX    STREET    POLICE    COURT 

A  night  in  jail  —  A  rapid-fire  judge —  The  young  lady  is  not  so 
positive  —  The  psychology  of  justice  —  What's  the  matter  with 
JasonviUc  ?  —  I  tell  my  story  to  his  Honor 


^  iL 


THERE  was  a  greasy 
bench  at  one  end  of 
number  twelve,  where 
I  sat  myself  down,  feel 
ing  that  I  had  come  to 
the  end  of  things  in 
Chicago  mighty  quick. 
A  measly  gas-jet  above 
the  door  showed  what 
a  stinking  hole  I  had 
got  myself  into.  I 
could  hear  the  gam 
bling  party  across  the 
way,  laughing  and  talk 
ing,  taking  their  lot 
rather  easily.  Pretty 
soon  a  man  was  put 
into  the  cell  next  mine. 
Feeling  that  I  had  come  to  the  end  of  He  kept  groaning  about 
things  in  Chicago  mighty  quick.  his  head.  "  My  head  ! " 
12 


THE    HARRISON    STREET    POLICE    COURT  13 

he  would' say,  "  oh,  my  head  !  My  head  !  oh,  my  head  !  " 
until  I  thought  my  own  head  was  going  wrong. 

I  wondered  what  had  become  of  Hostetter.  Apparently 
he  had  cleared  out  when  he  saw  his  chance  friend  getting 
into  trouble.  Perhaps  he  thought  I  had  been  working 
with  our  smooth  acquaintance  all  along.  Then  I  thought 
what  a  fool  I  had  been  to  give  my  real  name  and  home 
to  the  desk-sergeant.  To-morrow  the  wise  ones  down  in 
Jasonville  would  be  calling  Van  Harrington  bad  names 
all  over  again,  and  thinking  how  clever  they  had  been.  _ 

Some  bad-smelling  mess  was  shoved  at  me  for  supper, 
but  I  had  no  stomach  for  food,  good  or  bad.  The  jail 
quieted  down  after  a  time,  but  I  couldn't  sleep.  My  mind 
was  full  of  the  past,  of  everything  that  had  happened  to 
me. from  the  beginning.  Only  forty-eight  hours  before  I 
had  been  tramping  my  way  into  the  city,  as  keen  as  a 
hungry  steer  for  all  the  glory  I  saw  there  ahead  of  me 
under  the  bank  of  smoke  that  was  Chicago.  Boylike,  I 
had  looked  up  at  the  big  packing-houses,  the  factories, 
the  tall  elevators  that  I  passed,  and  thought  how  one  day 
I  should  be  building  my  fortune  out  of  them  as  others 
had  built  theirs  before  me.  And  the  end  of  that  boyish 
dream  was  this  bed  in  a  jail ! 

The  next  morning  they  hustled  us  all  into  court.  I 
was  crowded  into  the  pen  along  with  some  of  the  numer 
ous  Smiths  and  Joneses  who  hadn't  been  able  to  secure 
bail  the  night  before.  These  were  disposed  of  first  in  the 
way  of  routine  business,  together  with  a  few  drunks 
and  disorderlies.  There  were  also  in  the  pen  some  sickly- 


14        THK    MKMoins    OF    AN    AMKKK'AN    (MTIXKN 

looking  fellows  who  had  been  taken  up  for  smoking  opium 
in  ;i  Chinese  eellar,  a  woman  in  whose  house  there  had 
been  a  robbery,  and  a  well-dressed  man  with  a  bandage 
over  one  eye.  He  must  have  been  my  neighbor  of  the 
bad  head. 

The  court  room  was  pretty  well  jammed  with  these 
prisoners,  the  police  officers,  and  a  few  loafers.  The  air 
smelled  like  a  sewer,  and  the  windows  were  foul  with 
dirt.  The  judge  was  a  good-looking,  youngish  man,  with 
a  curling  black  mustache,  and  he  wore  a  diamond-studded 
circlet  around  his  necktie.  Behind  the  judge  on  the 
platform  sat  the  young  woman  whose  purse  I  was  accused 
of  stealing,  and  her  father.  She  saw  me  when  I  was 
brought  into  the  pen,  but  tried  not  to  let  me  know  it, 
looking  away  all  the  time. 

AVhen  I  arrived  on  the  scene  the  judge  was  administer 
ing  an  oath  to  a  seedy-looking  man,  who  kissed  eagerly 
the  filthy  Bible  and  began  to  mumble  something  in  a 
hurry  to  the  judge. 

"  Yes,  I  know  that  pipe  dream,"  his  Honor  interrupted 
pleasantly.  "Now,  tell  me  the  straight  story  of  what 
you  have  been  doing  since  you  were  here  last  week." 

"  You  insult  me,  Judge/'  the  prisoner  replied  haughtily. 
''  I'm  an  educated  man,  a  graduate  of  a  great  institution 
of  learning.  You  know  your  Horace,  Judge  ?  " 

"Not  so  well  as  the  revised  statutes  of  the  state  of 
Illinois,"  his  Honor  snapped  back  with  what  I  thought 
was  a  lack  of  respect  for  learning.  "Two  months. 
Next !  " 

"  Why,  Judge  —  " 


THE    HARBISON    STREET   POLICE    COURT  15 

There  was  a  titter  in  the  court  room  as  the  graduate  of 
a  great  university  was  led  from  the  pen.  His  Honor, 
wearing  the  same  easy  smile,  was  already  listening  to  the 
next  case.  He  necked  off  a  stray  particle  of  soot  that 
had  lodged  on  the  big  pink  in  his  buttonhole  as  he 
remarked  casually :  — 

"  Is  that  so  ?  Twenty-five  dollars.  It  will  be  fifty  the 
next  time." 

The  judge  nodded  blandly  to  the  prisoner  and  turned 
to  my  neighbor  of  the  night,  the  man  who  had  had  so 
much  trouble  with  his  head.  I  was  getting  very  uneasy. 
That  smiling  gentleman  up  there  on  the  bench  seemed  to 
have  his  mind  made  up  about  most  folks  beforehand,  and 
it  didn't  seem  to  be  favorably  inclined  this  morning. 
I  was  beginning  to  wonder  how  many  months  he  had 
me  down  for  already.  It  didn't  add  to  my  peace  of  mind 
to  see  him  chatting  genially  with  the  old  gentleman 
and  his  daughter  as  he  listened  to  the  poor  criminals  at 
the  bar. 

His  Honor  went  on  disposing  of  the  List  cases  at  a 
rapid  rate,  with  a  smile,  a  nod,  a  joke  —  and  my  time 
was  coming  nearer.  The  sweat  rolled  down  my  cheeks. 
I  couldn't  keep  my  eyes  off  the  young  lady's  face  ;  some 
how  I  felt  that  she  was  my  only  hope  of  safety.  Finally 
the  judge  leaned  back  in  his  chair  and  smelled  at  his  pink, 
as  if  he  had  'most  finished  his  morning's  work. 

The  clerk  called,  "  Edward  V.  Harrington."    I  jumped. 

"Well,  Edward?"  the  judge  inquired  pleasantly  as 
I  stood  before  him.  "The  first  time  we  have  had  the 
pleasure,  I  believe  ?  " 


1G        THE    MEMOIRS    OF    AN    A  ME  HI  CAN    CITIZEN 

I  mumbled  something  and  the  store  detective  began 
to  tell  his  story. 

"  Is  that  it,  Doctor  ?  "  the  judge  asked  the  old  man. 

"Why,  I  suppose  so— I  don't  know.  He  was  caught 
in  the  act,  wasn't  he?"  Then,  as  the  old  man  sat  down, 
he  added  peevishly:  "At  least,  that's  what  my  daughter 
says,  and  she  ought  to  know.  It  was  her  purse,  and  she 
got  me  down  here  this  morning." 

"How  about  it,  miss?"  the  judge  asked  quickly, 
wheeling  his  chair  the  other  way  and  smiling  at  the 
young  lady.  "  Did  you  see  the  prisoner  here  take  your 
purse  ?  " 

"Why,  of  course—  She  was  just  going  to  say 
"yes''  when  her  eyes  caught  mine  for  a  moment,  and 

she  hesitated.     "No,  I  didn't  exactly  see  him,  but " 

her  look  swept  haughtily  over  my  head.  "  But  he  was 
very  close  to  me  and  was  stooping  down  just  as  I  felt 
a  jerk  at  my  belt.  And  then  the  purse  was  gone.  He 
must  have  taken  it !  " 

"  Stooping  to  beauty,  possibly  ?  "  the  judge  suggested. 

"Stooping  to  pick  up  the  lady's  handkerchief,  which  I 
saw  her  drop/'  I  ventured  to  put  in,  feeling  that  in  an 
other  moment  I  should  find  myself  blown  into  prison 
with  a  joke. 

"Oh!  So  you  were  picking  up  the  lady's  hand 
kerchief?  Very  polite,  I  am  sure!  "  His  Honor  glared 
at  me  for  an  instant  for  the  first  time.  "And  you 
thought  you  might  as  well  take  the  purse,  too?  Fora 
keepsake,  eh?" 

He  had  wheeled  around  to  face  me.     A  sentence  was 


THE    HARRISON    STREET    POLICE    COURT  17 

on  his  lips.  I  could  feel  it  coming,  and  hadn't  an  idea 
how  to  keep  it  back.  I  looked  helplessly  at  the  young 
woman.  Just  as  his  Honor  opened  his  mouth  to  speak, 
she  exclaimed :  — 

"Wait  a  moment!  I  am  not  sure  — he  doesn't  look 
bad.  I  thought,  Judge,  you  could  tell  whether  he  had 
really  taken  my  purse,"  she  ended  reproachfully. 

"  Do  you  consider  me  a  mind  reader,  miss  ?  "  the  judge 
retorted,  suspending  that  sentence  in  mid-air. 

"Let  him  say  something!  Let  him  tell  his  story," 
the  young  lady  urged.  "  Perhaps  he  isn't  guilty,  after 
all.  I  am  sure  he  doesn't  look  it." 

"  Why,  Sarah  !  "   the  old  gentleman  gasped  in  aston 
ishment.     "  You    said   this    morning    at   breakfast  that 
you  were  sure  he  had  stolen  it." 
Here  the  detective  put  in  his  oar. 

"I  know  him  and  the  one  that  was  with  him  —  they're 
old  sneaks,  your  Honor." 

"That's  a  lie!  "  1  said,  finding  my  tongue  at  last. 
"  Good  !  "  the  judge  exclaimed  appreciatively.      "I  am 
inclined  to  think  so,  too,  Edward,"  he  went  on,  adjusting 
his  diamond  circlet  with  one  linger.     "This  young  lady 
thinks  you  have  a  story  of  your  own.     Have  you? 

"'Yes,  I  have,  and  a  straight  one,"  I  answered,  pluck 
ing  up  my  courage. 

"Of  course,"  he  grunted  sarcastically.  "Well,  let' 
have  it,  but  make  it  short." 

It  did  sound  rather  lame  when  I  came  to  tell  what 
I  had  done  with  myself  since  I  had  entered  the  city. 
When  I  got  to  that  part  about  the  house  where  Ed  and 


18 


'nil-:    MKMOIKS    OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 


I    had    been    disturbed    by  thieves,   the    old    gentleman 
broke  in : — 

"  Bless  my  soul  !  That  must  be  the  Wordens'  house. 
The  officer  said  there  were  two  suspicious  characters  who 
ran  away  up  the  boulevard.  This  fellow  must  be  one 
of  them.  Of  course  lie  took  the  purse !  You  know  the 
Wordens,  don't  you,  Judge  ?  " 

His  Honor  merely  nodded  to  the  old  gentleman, 
smiled  at  the  young  lady,  and  said  to  me:  — 

"Go  on,  young  man!  Tell  us  why  you  left  home  in 
the  first  place." 

I  got  red  all  over  again  at  this  invitation,  and  was 
taken  with  a  new  panic. 

"Who  are  your  folks?  What's  the  name  of  the 
place?"  the  judge  asked  encouragingly. 

"  Jasonville,  Indiana." 

"  What's  the  matter  with  Jasonville,  Edward?"  he 
asked  more  sharply.  "Why  do  you  blush  for  it?" 

"  I  had  rather  not  tell  with  all  these  folks  around," 
I  answered,  looking  at  the  young  lady. 

His  Honor  must  have  found  something  in  my  case  a 
little  out  of  his  ordinary  experience,  for  he  took  me  back 
into  his  own  room.  He  got  me  started  on  my  story,  and 
one  thing  led  to  another.  His  manner  changed  all  of  a 
sudden:  he  no  longer  tried  to  be  smart,  and  he  seemed 
to  have  plenty  of  time.  After  that  long  night  in  the  jail 
I  wanted  to  talk.  So  I  told  his  Honor  just  how  it  had 
been  with  me  from  the  beginning. 


CHAPTER   III 

JASONVILLE,    IXDIAXA 

The  Harringtons  —  The  village  magnate  —  A  young  hoodlum  —  On 
the,  road  to  school — The  first  woman  —  Disgrace,  and  agirVs 
ivill  —  An  unfortunate  coincidence  —  In  trouble  again  —  May 
loses  faith — The  end  of  JasonviHe —  Discharged  —  A  loan  — 
Charity  —  The  positive  young  lady  hopes  I  shall  start  right —  The 
lake  front  once  more  —  I  preach  myself  a  good  sermon 

THE  Harringtons  were  pretty  well  known  in  Greene 
County,  Indiana.  Father  moved  to  JasonviHe  just  after 
the  war,  when  the  place  was  not  much  more  than  a  cross 
roads  with  a  prospect  of  a  railroad  sometime.  Ours  was 
the  first  brick  house,  built  after  the  kind  he  and  mother 
used  to  know  back  in  York  State.  And  he  set  up  the 
largest  general  store  in  that  district  and  made  money. 
Then  he  lost  most  of  it  when  the  oil  boom  first  came. 

Mother  and  he  set  great  store  by  education,  —  if  father 
hadn't  gone  to  the  war  he  wouldn't  have  been  keeping  a 
country  store,  —  and  they  helped  start  the  first  township 
high  school  in  our  part  of  the  state.  And  he  sent  Will, 
my  older  brother,  and  me  to  the  Methodist  school  at 
Eureka,  which  was  the  best  he  could  do  for  us.  There 
wasn't  much  learning  to  be  had  in  Eureka  "  College," 
however ;  the  two  or  three  old  preachers  and  women  who 
composed  the  faculty  were  too  busy  trying  to  keep  the 

19 


20        THE    MKMOIKS    OK    AN     A.MKKK'AN     CITI/KN 

boys  from  playing  cards  and  smoking  or  chewing  to 
teach  us  much. 

Perhaps  I  was  a  bit  of  a  hoodlum  as  a  boy,  any  wav. 
The  trouble  started  with  the  judge  —  Judge  Sonvll.  He 
was  a  local  light,  who  held  a  mortgage  on  'most  every 
thing  in  town  (including  our  store  —  after  father  went 
into  oil).  We  boys  had  always  heard  at  home  how  hard 
and  mean  the  judge  was,  and  dishonest,  too ;  for  in  some 
of  the  oil  deals  he  had  tricked  folks  out  of  their  prop 
erty.  It  wasn't  so  strange,  then,  that  we  youngsters 
took  liberties  with  the  judge's  belongings  that  the  older 
folks  did  not  dare  to.  The  judge's  fine  stock  used  to 
come  in  from  the  field  done  up,  raced  to  death,  and  the 
orchard  by  the  creek  just  out  of  town  (which  had  be 
longed  to  us  once)  rarely  brought  a  good  crop  to  matur 
ity.  We  made  ourselves  believe  that  the  judge  didn't 
really  own  it,  and  treated  him  as  a  trespasser.  So  one 
night,  when  the  judge  made  a  hasty  visit  to  our  house 
after  one  of  the  "raids,"  my  father  found  me  in  bed 
with  a  wet  suit  of  clothes  on,  which  I  had  been  forced  to 
sacrifice  in  the  creek.  The  end  of  that  lark  was  that 
father  had  to  pay  a  good  sum  for  my  private  interpreta 
tion  of  the  laws  of  property,  and  I  spent  the  rest  of  the 
summer  on  a  farm  doing  a  man's  work. 

Perhaps  if  it  hadn't  been  for  that  ducking  in  the 
river  and  what  followed,  I  might  have  come  out  just  a 
plain  thief.  While  I  was  sweating  on  that  farm  I  saw 
the  folly  of  running  against  common  notions  about  prop 
erty.  I  came  to  the  conclusion  that  if  I  \\  anted  what  my 
neighbor  considered  to  be  his,  I  must  get  the  law  to  do 


JASONVILLE,    INDIANA  21 

the  business  for  me.  For  the  first  time  it  dawned  on  me 
how  wonderful  is  that  system  which  shuts  up  one  man  in 
jail  for  taking  a  few  dollars'  worth  of  truck  that  doesn't 
belong  to  him,  and  honors  the  man  who  steals  his 
millions — if  he  robs  in  the  legal  way!  Yes,  the  old 
judge  knocked  some  good  worldly  sense  into  me. 

(Nevertheless,  old  Sorrell  needn't  have  hounded  me 
after  I  came  back  to  Jasonville,  and  carried  his  malice  to 
the  point  of  keeping  me  from  getting  a  job  when  I  was 
hoping  to  make  a  fair  start  so  that  I  could  ask  May 
Kudge  to  marry  me.  But  all  that  was  some  time  later.) 

May  was  one  of  that  handful  of  young  women  who  in 
those  days  stood  being  sneered  at  for  wanting  to  go 
to  college  with  their  brothers.  We  were  in  the  same 
classes  at  Eureka  two  years  before  I  noticed  her  much. 
She  was  little  and  pale  and  delicate  —  with  serious,  cold 
gray  eyes,  and  a  mouth  that  was  always  laughing  at  you. 
I  can  see  to-day  the  very  spot  where  she  stood  when  I 
first  spoke  to  her.  Good  weather  I  used  to  drive  over 
from  father's  to  Eureka,  and  one  spring  morning  I  hap 
pened  to  drive  by  the  Kudge  farm  on  my  way  to  school 
instead  of  taking  the  pike,  which  was  shorter.  There 
was  a  long  level  stretch  of  road  straightaway  between 
two  pieces  of  green  meadow,  and  there,  ahead  of  me,  I 
saw  the  girl,  walking  steadily,  looking  neither  to  the 
right  nor  to  the  left.  I  slowed  up  with  the  idea  that 
she  might  give  me  a  nod  or  a  word;  but  she  kept  her 
pace  as  though  she  were  thinking  of  things  too  far  off 
to  notice  a  horse  and  buggy  on  the  road.  Somehow  I 
wanted  to  make  her  speak.  Pretty  soon  I  said  :  — 


22         THK    MKMOIKS    OF    AN    A.MKIMCAN    CIT1/KN 

"Won't  you  ride  to  school  with  mo,  Miss  May  ?  " 

Then  she  turned  her  head,  not  the  least  flustered  like 
other  girls,  and  looked  me  square  in  the  eye  for  a  minute. 
I  knew  she  was  wondering  what  made  me  speak  to  her 
then,  for  the  boys  at  school  never  took  notice  of  the  col 
lege  girls.  But  she  got  into  the  buggy  and  sat  prim  and 
solemn  by  my  side.  We  jogged  along  between  the 
meadows,  which  were  bright  with  flowers  and  the  soft, 
green  grass  of  spring.  The  big  timber  along  the  road 
side  and  between  the  pasture  lands  had  just  leaved  out, 
and  the  long  branches  hung  daintily  in  the  misty  morn 
ing  air.  All  of  a  sudden  I  felt  mighty  happy  to  be 
there  with  her.  I  think  her  first  words  were,  — "  Do 
you  come  this  way  often  ?  " 

"  Perhaps  I  shall  be  coming  this  way  oftener  now,''  I 
made  bold- to  answer. 

Her  lips  trembled  in  a  little  ironical  smile,  and  the 
least  bit  of  red  sprang  into  her  white  face.  I  said,  "  It 
isn't  as  short  as  the  pike,  but  it  is  a  prettier  road." 

The  smile  deepened,  and  I  had  it  on  my  tongue  to 
add,  "  I  shall  be  coining  this  way  every  morning  if  you 
will  ride  with  me."  But  I  was  afraid  of  that  smiling 
mouth. 

(Of  course  I  didn't  tell  his  Honor  all  this,  but  I  add 
it  now,  together  with  other  matters  that  concern  me  and 
belong  here.  It  will  help  to  explain  what  happened 
later.) 

So  that  fine  spring  morning,  when  I  was  seventeen,  I 
first  took  note  of  what  a  wom:m  is.  Tin-  rest  of  lliat 
year  1  used  to  drive  the  prim  little  girl  l>;u-k  and  forth 


JASONVILLE,    INDIANA  23 

between  her  father's  farm  and  school.  I  was  no  scholar 
like  her,  and  she  never  went  about  with  the  other  girls 
to  parties.  She  wasn't  in  the  least  free  and  easy  with 
the  boys.  In  those  days  most  girls  didn't  think  much 
of  a  fellow  who  wouldn't  take  his  chances  to  kiss  them 
when  he  could.  Evenings,  when  we  called,  we  used  to 
pull  the  parlor  door  to  and  sit  holding  hands  with  the 
young  woman  of  our  admiration.  And  no  harm  ever 
came  of  it  that  I  know :  most  of  those  girls  made  good 
wives  when  the  time  came,  for  all  they  were  easy  and 
tender  and  ready  to  make  love  in  the  days  of  their 
youth. 

But  once,  when  I  tried  to  put  my  arm  about  May 
Kudge,  as  we  were  driving  along  the  lonely  road,  she 
turned  and  looked  at  me  out  of  those  cold  gray  eyes. 
Her  mouth  rippled  in  that  little  ironical  way,  as  if  she 
were  laughing  down  in  her  mind.  She  never  said  a 
word  or  pulled  away  from  me,  but  I  didn't  care  to 
go  on. 

May  gave  me  ambition,  and  she  made  me  want  to  be 
steady  and  good,  though  she  never  said  anything  about 
it.  But  now  and  then  I  would  break  away  and  get 
myself  into  some  fool  scrape.  Such  was  the  time  when 
I  came  back  from  a  Terre  Haute  party  pretty  light 
headed,  and  went  with  some  others  to  wake  up  the  old 
Methodist  president  of  the  college.  I  don't  remember 
what  happened  then,  but  the  next  morning  at  chapel  the 
old  boy  let  loose  on  "  wine  and  wantoning,"  and  called 
me  by  name.  I  knew  that  I  had  done  for  myself  at 
Eureka,  and  I  was  pretty  mad  to  be  singled  out  for  repro- 


THE   MEMOIRS   OF   AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 


bation  from  all  the  offenders.     I  got  up  from  my  seat  and 

walked  out  while  the  school  stared.     As  I  was  getting  my 

horse  from  the  place  where  I  kept  it,  May  Rudge  came 

into  the  yard. 

"  You  aren't  going  this  way  ?  "  she  demanded  quickly. 
"I  don't  see  as  there's  much  use  waiting  for  bouquets." 

"  You  aren't  going 
without  apologizing !  " 
she  flashed  out. 

To  tell  the  truth, 
that  had  never  oc 
curred  to  me.  It 
seemed  she  cared  less 
for  the  disgrace  than 
for  the  way  I  took  it. 
So  in  the  end,  before 
I  left  town,  I  drove 
up  to  the  president's 
house,  apologized,  and 
got  my  dismissal  in 
due  form,  and  was 
told  I  should  go  to 
hell  unless  I  was  con 
verted  straightway. 
Then  May  drove  down 
the  street  with  me  in 

face  of  the  whole  school,  who  contrived  to  be  there  to 

see  my  departure. 

"  I  guess  this  ends  my  education,  and  being  a  lawyer, 

and  all  that,"  I  said  gloomily,  as  we  drew  near  the  Rudge 


/  believe  she  would  have  let  me  kiss  her 
had  I  wanted  to  then. 


JASONVILLE,    INDIANA 


25 


farm.  "Dad  will  never  forgive  this.  He  thinks  rum  is 
the  best  road  to  hell,  the  same  as  the  old  preacher.  He 
won't  sell  a  glass  of  cider  in  the  store.'7 

"  There  are  other  kinds  of  work,"  she  answered.     "  You 
can  show  them  just  the  same  you  know  what's  right." 

"But  you'll  never  marry  a 
man  who  isn't  educated,"  I 
said  boldly. 

"  I'll  never  marry  a  man  who 
hasn't  principles  —  and  reli- 
gion,"  she  replied  without  a 
blush. 

"  So  I  must  be  good  and 
pious,  as  well  as  educated  ?  " 

"  You  must  be  a  man  "  —  and 
her    lips    curved    ironically  — 
"  and  now  you  are  just  a  boy." 

But  I  held  her  hand  when  I 
helped  her  from  the  buggy,  and 
I    believe    she    would 
have   let   me  kiss  her 
had  I  wanted  to  then. 

Father  and  mother 
took  my  expulsion  from 
school  very  hard,  as  I 
expected.  Father  especially  —  who  had  begun  to  brag 
somewhat  at  the  store  about  my  being  a  lawyer  and 
beating  the  judge  out  —  was  so  bitter  that  I  told  him 
if  he  would  give  me  fifty  dollars  I  would  go  off  some 
where  and  never  trouble  him  again. 


Earning  miylity  little  but  my  keep. 


26        THE    MEMOIHS    OF    AN    AM  HI!  1C  AN    CITIZEN 

"You  ask  me  to  give  you  fifty  dollars  to  go  to  hell 
with !  "  he  shouted  out. 

"Put  me  in  the  store,  then,  and  let  me  earn  it.  Give 
me  the  same  money  you  give  Will." 

But  father  didn't  want  me  around  the  store  for  folks 
to  see.  So  I  had  to  go  out  to  a  farm  once  more,  to  a 
place  that  father  was  working  on  shares  with  a  Swede. 
I  spent  the  better  part  of  two  years  on  that  farm,  living 
with  the  old  Swede,  and  earning  mighty  little  but  my 
keep.  For  father  gave  me  a  dollar  now  and  then,  but  no 
regular  wages.  I  could  get  sight  o£  May  only  on  a  Sun 
day.  She  was  teaching  her  first  school  in  another  county. 
Father  and  mother  lludge  had  never  liked  me :  they 
looked  higher  for  May  than  to  marry  a  poor  farm-hand, 
who  had  a  bad  name  in  the  town.  My  brother  Will, 
who  was  a  quiet,  church-going  fellow,  had  learned  his 
way  to  the  Kudge  place  by  this  time,  and  the  old 
people  favored  him. 

After  a  while  I  heard  of  a  chance  in  a  surveyor's  office 
at  Terre  Haute,  but  old  Sorrell.  who  had  more  business 
than  any  ten  men  in  that  part  of  the  country,  met  the 
surveyor  on  the  train,  and  when  I  reached  the  office  there 
wasn't  any  job  for  me.  That  night,  when  I  got  back 
from  Terre  Haute,  I  told  my  folks  that  I  was  going  to 
Chicago.  The  next  day  I  asked  my  father  again  for 
some  money.  Mother  answered  for  him  :  — 

"  Will  don't  ask  us  for  money.  It  won't  be  fair  to 
him." 

"  So  he's  to  have  the  store  and  my  girl  too,"  I  said 
bitterly. 


JASONVILLE,    INDIANA  27 

"May  Rudge  isn't  the  girl  to  many  a  young  man 
who's  wild." 

" I'll  find  that  out  for  myself  ! " 

Always  having  had  a  pretty  fair  opinion  of  myself, 
I  found  it  hard  to  be  patient  and  earn  good-will 
by  my  own  deserts.  So  I  said  rather  foolishly  to 
father :  — 

"  Will  you  give  me  a  few  dollars  to  start  me  with  ? 
I  have  earned  it  all  right,  and  I  am  asking  you  for  the 
last  time." 

It  was  a  kind  of  threat,  and  I  am  sorry  enough  for  it 
now.  I  suspect  he  hadn't  the  money,  for  things  were 
going  badly  with  him.  He  answered  pretty  warmly  that 
I  should  wait  a  long  time  before  he  gave  me  another  dol 
lar  to  throw  away.  I  turned  on  my  heel  without  a  word 
to  him  or  mother,  and  went  out  of  the  house  with  the 
resolve  not  to  return. 

But  before  I  left  Jasonville  to  make  my  plunge  into 
the  world  I  would  see  May  Rudge.  I  wanted  to  say  to 
her:  "Which  will  you  have?  Choose  now!  So  I 
turned  about  and  started  for  the  Rudge  farm,  which 
was  about  a  mile  from  the  town,  beyond  the  old  place 
on  the  creek  that  used  to  belong  to  us.  Judge  Sorrell 
had  put  up  a  large  new  barn  on  the  place,  where  he  kept 
some  fine  blooded  stock  that  he  had  been  at  considerable 
expense  to  import.  I  had  never  been  inside  the  barn, 
and  as  I  passed  it  that  afternoon,  it  came  into  my  mind, 
for  no  particular  reason,  to  turn  in  at  the  judge's  farm 
and  go  by  the  new  building.  Maybe  I  thought  the  old 
judge  would  be  around  somewhere,  and  I  should  have 


28       THE   MEMOIRS    OF   AN   AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

the  chance  before  I  left  Jasonville  to  tell  him  what  I 
thought  of  his  dirty,  sneaking  ways. 

But  there  was  no  one  in  the  big  barn,  apparently,  or 
anywhere  on  the  place,  and  after  looking  about  for  a 
little  I  went  on  to  May's.  I  came  up  to  the  Kudge  farm 
from  the  back,  having  taken  a  cut  across  the  fields. 

As  I  drew  near  the  house  I  saw  Will  and  May  sitting 
under  an  apple  tree  talking.  I  walked  on  slowly,  my 
anger  somehow  rising  against  them  both.  There  was 
nothing  wrong  in  their  being  there  —  nothing  at  all; 
but  I  was  ready  to  fire  at  the  first  sign.  By  the  looks 
of  it,  mother  was  right :  they  were  already  sweethearts. 
Will  seemed  to  have  something  very  earnest  to  say  to 
May.  He  took  hold  of  one  of  her  hands,  and  she  didn't 
draw  it  away  at  once.  .  .  .  There  wasn't  anything  more 
to  keep  me  in  Jasonville. 

I  kept  right  on  up  the  country  road,  without  much 
notion  of  where  I  was  going  to,  too  hot  and  angry  to 
think  about  anything  but  those  two  under  the  apple 
tree.  I  had  not  gone  far  before  I  heard  behind  me  a 
great  rushing  noise,  like  the  sudden  sweep  of  a  tornado, 
and  then  a  following  roar.  I  looked  up  across  the  fields, 
and  there  was  the  judge's  fine  new  barn  one  mass  of 
red  flame  and  black  smoke.  It  was  roaring  so  that  I 
could  hear  it  plainly  a  quarter  of  a  mile  away.  Natu 
rally,  I  started  to  run  for  the  fire,  and  ran  hard  all  the 
way  across  the  fields.  By  the  time  I  got  there  some  men 
from  town  had  arrived  and  were  rushing  around  crazily. 
But  they  hadn't  got  out  the  live  stock,  and  there  was  no 
chance  now  to  save  a  hen.  The  judge  drove  up  pres- 


JASONVILLE,    INDIANA  29 

ently,  and  we  all  stood  around  and  stared  at  the  fire. 
After  a  time  I  began  to  think  it  was  time  for  me  to  move 
on  if  I  was  to  get  to  any  place  that  night.  I  slipped 
off  and  started  up  the  road  once  more.  I  hadn't  gone 
far,  however,  before  I  was  overtaken  by  a  buggy  in 
which  was  one  of  the  men  who  had  been  at  the  fire. 

"  Where  be  yer  goin',  Van  ?  "  he  asked  peremptorily. 

"I  don't  know  as  I  am  called  on  to  tell  you,  Sam,"  I 
answered  back. 

"  Yes,  you  be,"  he  said  more  kindly.  "  I  guess  you'll 
have  to  jump  right  in  here,  anyways,  and  ride  back  with 
me.  The  judge  wants  to  ask  you  a  few  questions  about 
this  here  fire." 

"  I  don't  answer  any  of  the  judge's  questions ! "  I  re 
plied  sharply  enough,  not  yet  seeing  what  the  man  was 
after.  But  he  told  me  bluntly  enough  that  I  was  sus 
pected  of  setting  fire  to  the  barn,  and  drove  me  back  to 
the  town,  where  I  stayed  in  the  sheriff's  custody  until 
my  uncle  came  late  that  night  and  bailed  me  out.  Will 
was  with  him.  Father  didn't  want  me  to  come  home, 
so  Will  let  me  understand.  Neither  he  nor  my  uncle 
thought  I  was  innocent,  but  they  hoped  that  there  might 
not  be  enough  evidence  to  convict  me.  Some  one  on  the 
creek  road  had  seen  me  going  past  the  barn  a  little  time 
before  the  fire  was  discovered,  and  that  was  the  only 
ground  for  suspecting  me. 

The  next  morning  I  got  my  uncle  (who  wouldn't  trust 
me  out  of  his  sight)  to  drive  me  over  to  the  Eudge  place. 
He  sat  in  the  team  while  I  went  up  to  the  house  and 
knocked.  I  was  feeling  pretty  desperate  in  my  mind, 


30        Till-:    MKMMIIIS    OK    AN     A.MKKK'AN    CITI/KN 


but  if  May  would  only  believe  my  story,  I  shouldn't  care 
about  the  others.  She  would  understand  quick  enough 
why  I  never  appeared  at  the  farm  the  day  before.  Old 

man  Rudge  came 

^l^^^^m*i*O^^  to  the  door,  and 

when  he  saw 
me,  he  drew  back 
and  asked  me 
what  my  business 
was. 

"  I  want  to  see 
May,"  I  said. 

"  I  guess  she 
don't  want  much 
to  see  you." 

"  I  must  see 
her." 

The  sound 
of  our  voices 

iW,M-»  brought  Mrs. 
Rudge  from  the 
kitchen. 

"Mother,"  old 
Rudge  said,"  Van 
wants  to  see 
May." 

"  Well,  Cyrils,  it  won't  do  any  harm,  I  guess." 
When  May  came  to  the  door  she  waited  for  me  to  speak. 
"  I  want  to  tell   you,    May,"  I   said    slowly,  "  that  I 
didn't  have  any  hand  in  burning  the  judge's  barn." 


I  guess  she,  don't  want  much  to  see  you." 


JASONVILLE,    INDIANA  31 

"  I  don't  want  to  believe  you  did,"  she  said. 

"  But  you  do  all  the  same  !  "  I  cried  sharply. 

"  Every  one  says  you  did,  Van,"  she  answered  doubt- 
fully.  x 

"  So  you  think  I  could  do  a  mean,  sneaky  thing  like 
that  ?  "  I  replied  hotly,  and  added  bitterly  :  "  And  then 
not  have  sense  enough  to  get  out  of  the  way !  Well,  I 
know  what  this  means :  you  and  Will  have  put  your 
heads  together.  You're  welcome  to  him  !  " 

"  You've  no  reason  to  say  such  things,  Van ! "  she 
exclaimed. 

"  There  ain't  no  use  in  you  talking  with  my  girl,  Har 
rington,"  put  in  Rudge,  who  had  come  back  to  the  door. 
"  And  I  don't  want  you  coming  here  any  more." 

"  How  about  that,  May  ?  "  I  asked.  "  Do  you  tell  me 
to  go  ?  " 

Her  lips  trembled,  and  she  looked  at  me  more  kindly. 
Perhaps  in  another  moment  she  would  have  answered 
and  not  failed  me.  But  hot  and  heady  as  I  was  by 
nature,  and  smarting  from  all  that  had  happened,  I 
wanted  a  ready  answer :  I  would  not  plead  for 
myself. 

"  So  you  won't  take  my  word  for  it  ?  "  I  said,  turning 
away. 

"  The  word  of  a  drunkard  and  a  good-for-nothing !  " 
the  old  man  fired  after  me. 

"  Oh,  father !  don't,"  I  heard  May  say.  Then  per 
haps  she  called  my  name.  But  I  was  at  the  gate,  and 
too  proud  to  turn  back. 

I  was  discharged  the  next  week.     Although  there  was 


32       THE   MEMOIRS    OF   AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

nothing  against  me  except  the  fact  that  I  had  been  seen 
about  the  barn  previous  to  the  fire,  and  the  well-known 
enmity  between  me  and  the  judge,  it  would  have  gone 
hard  with  me  had  it  not  been  for  the  fact  that  in  the 
ruins  of  the  burned  barn  they  found  the  remains  of  an 
old  farm-hand,  who  had  probably  wandered  in  there  while 
drunk  and  set  the  place  on  fire  with  his  pipe. 

When  I  was  released  my  uncle  said  the  folks  were 
ready  to  have  me  back  home  ;  but  without  a  word  I 
started  north  on  the  county  road  in  the  direction  of  the 
great  city. 

«  So,"  said  his  Honor,  when  I  had  finished  my  story 
in  the  dingy  chamber  of  the  police  court,  "you  want  me 
to  believe  that  you  really  had  no  hand  in  firing  that  barn 
any  more  than  you  took  this  lady's  purse  ?  " 

But  he  smiled  to  himself,  at  his  own  penetration,  I 
suppose,  and  when  we  were  back  in  the  court  room  that 
dreaded  sentence  fell  from  his  lips  like  a  shot,  —  "  Officer, 
the  prisoner  is  discharged." 

"  I  knew  he  was  innocent !  "  the  young  lady  exclaimed 
the  next  instant. 

"  But,  Judge,  where  is  the  purse  and  my  friend  Wor- 
den's  fur  coat  ?  "  the  old  gentleman  protested. 

"  You  don't  see  them  about  him,  do  you,  Doctor  ?  "  the 
judge  inquired  blandly.  Then  he  turned  to  me:  "Ed 
ward,  I  think  that  you  have  told  me  an  honest  story. 
I  hope  so." 

He  took  a  coin  from  his  pocket. 

"  Here's  a  dollar,  my  boy.     Buy  a  ticket  for  as  far  as 


JASONVILLE,    INDIANA  33 

this   will   take    you,   and   walk    the    rest    of    the   way 
home." 

"  I  guess  I  have  come  to  Chicago  to  stay,"  I  answered. 
"They  aren't  breaking  their  hearts  over  losing  me 
down  home." 

"Well,,  my  son,  as  you  think  best.     In  this  glorious^ 

Republic  it  is  every  man's  first  privilege  to  take  his  own 

road  to  hell.     But,  at  any  rate,  get  a  good  dinner  to  start 

~onT~  We  don't  serve  first-class  meals  here." 

"  I'll  return  this  as  soon  as  I  can,"  I  said,  picking  up 
the  coin. 

"  The  sooner  the  better ;  and  the  less  we  see  of  each 
other  in  the  future,  the  better,  eh  ?  " 

I  grinned,  and  started  for  the  door  through  which  I  had 
been  brought  into  court,  but  an  officer  pointed  to  another 
door  that  led  to  the  street.  As  I  made  for  it  I  passed 
near  the  young  lady.  She  called  to  me  :  — 

"  Mister,  mister,  what  will  you  do  now  ?  " 

"  Get  something  to  eat  first,  and  then  look  for  another 
purse,  perhaps,"  I  replied. 

She  blushed  very  prettily. 

"  I  am  sorry  I  accused  you,  but  you  were  looking  at  me 
so  hard  just  then  — I  thought  ...  I  want  you  to  take 
this  ! " 

She  tried  to  give  me  a  bill  rolled  up  in  a  little  wad. 

"  No,  thanks,"  I  said,  moving  off. 

"  But  you  may  need  it.  Every  one  says  it's  so  hard  to 
find  work." 

"  Well,  I  don't  take  money  from  a  woman." 

"  Oh !  "     She  blushed  again. 
P 


34       THE    MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 


Then  she  ran  to  the  old  gentleman,  who  was  talking 
to  the  judge,  and  got  from  him  a  little  black  memo 
randum-book. 

"You  see,  my  cards  were  all  in  the  purse.  But 
there !  "  she  said,  writing  down  her  name  and  address 

on  the  first  page. 
"  You  will  know 
now  where  to 
come  in  case 
you  need  help  or 
advice." 

"Thank  you," 
I  replied,  taking 
the  book. 

"  I  do  so  want 
to  help  you  to 
start  right  and 
become  a  good 
man,"  she  said 
timidly.  "Won't 
you  try  to  show 
your  friends  lliat 
they  were  mis 
taken  in  yon  ?  " 
She  turned  her 
eyes  up  at 


"  I  want  you  to  take  this." 

she  were  asking  it  as  a  favor  to  her. 
began  to  laugh,  but  stopped,  for  she  lnnk,-d  hurt. 
"I    guess,  miss,  it   don't    work    quite    thai    wav. 


me 

appealingly  as  if 

I    frit    foolish  and 


Of 


JASONVILLE,    INDIANA 


35 


course,  I  mean  to  start  fresh  — but  I  shan't  do  it  even 
for  your  sake.  All  the  same,  when  you  see  me  next  it 
won't  be  in  a  police  station." 

"  That's  right ! "  she  exclaimed,  beaming  at  me  with 
her  round  blue  eyes.  "  I  should  like  to  feel  that  I  hadn't 
hurt  you  —  made  you  worse." 

"  Oh,  you  needn't  worry  about  that,  miss.  I  guess  I'm 
not  much  worse  off  for  a  night  in  the  police  station." 

She  held  out  her  hand  and  I  took  it. 

"  Sarah  !  Sarah  !  "  the  old  gentleman  called  as  we  were 
shaking  hands.  He  seemed  rather  shocked,  but  the 
judge  looked  up  at  us  and  smiled  quizzically. 

Outside  it  was  a  warm,  pleasant  day;  the  wind  was 
blowing  merrily  through  the  dirty  street  toward  the  blue 
lake.  For  the  moment  I  did  not  worry  over  what  was  to 
come  next.  The  first  thing  I  did  was  to  get  a  good  meal. 
After  that  refreshment  I  sauntered  forth  in  the  direc 
tion  of  the  lake  front  — the  most  homelike  place  I  could_ 
think  of.  The  roar  of  the  city  ran  through  my  head  like 
the  clatter  of  a  mill.  I  seemed  to  be  just  a  feeble  atom 
of  waste  in  the  great  stream  of  life  flowing  around  me. 

When  I  reached  the  desolate  strip  of  weeds  and  sand 
between  the  avenue  and  the  railroad,  the  first  relay  of 
bums  was  beginning  to  round  up  for  the  night.  The 
sight  of  their  tough  faces  filled  me  with  a  new  disgust ; 
I  turned  back  to  the  busy  avenue,  where  men  and  women 
were  driving  to  and  fro  with  plenty  to  do  and  think,  and 
then  and  there  I  turned  on  myself  and  gave  myself  a  good 
cussing.  Here  I  was  more  than  twenty,  and  just  a  plain 


36 


THE   MEMOIRS   OF   AN    AMERICAN   CITIZEN 


fool,  and  had  been  ever  since  I  could  remember.     When 

I  had  rid  myself  of  several  layers  of  conceit  it  began  to 

dawn  on  me  that  this  was  a  world  where  one  had  to  step 

lively  if  he  wasn't  to  join  the  ranks  of  the  bums  back 

there  in  the  sand.     That  was  the  most  valuable  lot  of 

"thinking  I  ever  did  in   my  life.     It  took  the  sorehead 

\  feeling  of  wronged  genius  out  of    me  for  good  and  all. 

.Pretty  soon  I  straightened  my  back  and  started  for  the 

city  to  find  somewhere  a  bite  of  food  and  a  roof  to  cover 

my  head. 

And  afterward  there  would  be  time  to  think  o 

quering  the  world  ! 


CHAPTER   IV 

THE    PIERSOXS 

A  familiar  face  —  A  hospitable  roof —  The  Pierson  family,  and 
others  —  The  Enterprise  Market,  and  ten  dollars  a  week  —Miss 
Hillary  Cox — Crape  —  From  the  sidewalk — The  company  of 
successful  adventurers  —  The  great  Strauss 

"HELLO  !  Here  you  be  !  Ain't  I  glad  I  found  yer  this 
soon,"  and  Ed's  brown  eyes  were  looking  into  mine.  His 
seemed  to  me  just  then  about  the  best  face  in  the  world. 
"  Seems  though  I  was  bound  to  be  chasin'  some  one  in 
this  city  !  "  he  shouted,  grabbing  me  by  the  arm.  "  But 
I've  found  all  of  'em  now." 

He  had  missed  me  at  the  police  station  by  a  few  minutes, 
and  I  had  left  no  address.  After  looking  up  and  down 
a  few  streets  near  by,  Ed  had  thought  of  lying  in  wait  for 
me  on  the  lake  front,  feeling  that  unless  some  extraordi 
nary  good  luck  had  happened  to  me  I  should  bring  up  at 
that  popular  resort.  He  had  not  seen  the  little  incident 
when  the  detective  grabbed  me  in  the  great  store,  for  just 
at  that  moment  his  attention  had  been  attracted  to  a  girl 
at  one  of  the  counters,  who  had  called  him  by  name. 
The  girl,  who  was  selling  perfumes  and  tooth-washes, 
turned  out  to  be  his  cousin  Lou,  his  Aunt  Pierson's 
younger  daughter.  After  the  surprise  of  their  meeting 
Ed  had  looked  for  me,  and  the  floor-walker  told  them  of 

37 


38        THK    MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN   CITIZEN 

my  misfortune.  Then  the  cousin  had  made  Ed  go  home 
with  her.  Mrs.  Pierson,  it  seems,  took  in  boarders  in 
her  three-story-and-basement  house  on  West  Van  Buren 
Street.  She  and  the  two  girls  had  given  Ed  a  warm 
welcome,  and  for  the  first  time  in  many  days  he  had  had 


"  Ma  Pier  soil's.'1'1 

the  luxury  of  a  bed,  which  had  caused  him  to  oversleep, 
and  miss  me  at  the  station. 

All  this  I  learned  as  we  walked  westward  toward  Ed's 
new  home.  At  first  I  was  a  little  shy  about  putting 
another  burden  on  the  boy's  relations.  But  my  friend 
would  not  hear  of  letting  me  go.  When  Ed  tucked  his 


THE    PIERSONS  39 

arm  tinder  mine  and  hauled  me  along  with  country 
heartiness,  saying  I  could  share  his  bed  and  he  had  a  job 
in  view  for  us  both,  I  felt  as  though  the  sun  had  begun 
to  shine  all  over  again  that  day.  Through  all  the  acci 
dents  of  many  years  I  have  never  forgotten  that  kind 
ness,  and  my  heart  warms  afresh  when  I  stop  to  think 
how  Ed  grabbed  my  arm  and  pulled  me  along  with  him 
off  those  city  streets.  .  .  . 

So  it  happened  at  dinner-time  that  night  I  found  my 
self  in  the  basement  dining  room  and  made  my  first  bow 
to  some  people  who  were  to  be  near  me  for  a  number  of. 
years  —  one  or  two  of  them  for  life.  I  can  remember 
just  how  they  all  looked  sitting  about  the  table,  which 
was  covered  with  a  mussed  red  table-cloth,  and  lit  by  a 
big,  smelly  oil  lamp.  Pa  Pierson  sat  at  the  head  of  the 
table,  an  untidy,  gray-haired  old  man,  who  gave  away 
his  story  in  every  line  of  his  body.  He  had  made  some 
money  in  his  country  store  back  in  Michigan ;  but  the 
ambition  to  try  his  luck  in  the  city  had  ruined  him.  He 
had  gone  broke  on  crockery.  He  was  supposed  to  be 
looking  for  work,  but  he  spent  most  of  his  time  in  this 
basement  dining  room,  warming  himself  at  the  stove  and 
reading  the  boarders'  papers. 

The  girls  and  the  boy,  Dick,  paid  him  even  less  respect 
than  they  did  their  mother.  They  were  all  the  kind  of 
children  that  don't  tolerate  much  incompetence  in  their 
parents.  Dick  was  a  putty-faced,  black-haired  cub,  who 
scrubbed  blackboards  and  chewed  gum  in  a  Board  of 
Trade  man's  office.  Neither  he  nor  his  two  sisters,  who 
were  also  working  downtown,  contributed  much  to  the 


40        THK    MKMOLRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

house,  and  except  that  now  and  then  Grace,  the  older 
one,  would  help  clean  up  the  dishes  in  a  shamefaced  way, 
or  bring  the  food  on  the  table  when  the  meal  was  extra 
late  or  she  wanted  to  get  out  for  the  evening,  not  one  of 
the  three  ever  raised  a  finger  to  help  with  the  work.  The 
|  whole  place,  from  kitchen  to  garret,  fell  on  poor  old  Ma 
Pierson,  and  the  boarders  were  kinder  to  her  than  her 
own  children.  Lank  and  stooping,  short-sighted,  with 
a  faded,  tired  smile,  she  came  and  went  between  the 
kitchen  and  the  dining  room,  cooking  the  food  and  serv 
ing  it,  washing  the  dishes,  scrubbing  the  floors,  and 
making  the  beds  —  I  never  saw  her  sit  down  to  the  table 
with  us  except  one  Christmas  Day,  when  she  was  too 
sick  to  cook.  She  took  her  fate  like  an  Indian,  and  died 
on  the  steps  of  her  treadmill. 

There  were  two  other  regular  boarders  besides  myself 
and  Ed —  a  man  and  a  woman.  The  latter,  Miss  Hillary 
Cox,  was  cashier  in  the  New  Enterprise  Market,  not  far 
from  the  house.  She  was  rather  short  and  stout,  with 
thick  ropes  of  brown  hair  that  she  piled  on  her  head  in  a 
solid  mass  to  make  her  look  tall.  She  had  bright  little 
eyes,  and  her  rosy  face  showed  that  she  had  not  been 
long  in  the  city. 

The  man  was  a  long,  lean,  thin-faced  chap,  somewhat 
older  than  I  was.  His  name  was  Jaffrey  Slocum ;  he 
was  studying  law  and  doing  stenographic  work  in  a  law 
office  in  the  city.  When  I  first  looked  at  him  I  thought 
that  he  would  push  his  way  over  most  of  the  rocks  in  the 
road  —  and  he  did.  Slocum  was  a  mighty  silent  man, 
but  little  passed  before  his  eyes  without  his  knowing 


THE    PIERSONS  41 

what  it  meant.  I  learned  later  that  he  came  from  a  good 
Maine  family,  and  had  been  to  college  in  the  East.  And 
he  had  it  much  on  his  mind  to  do  several  things  with  his 
life  —  the  first  of  which  was  to  buy  back  the  old  home  in 
Portland,  and  put  his  folks  there  where  they  belonged. 
Old  Sloco,  we  called  him !  For  all  his  slow,  draggy  ways 
he  had  pounds  of  pressure  on  the  gauge.  He  and  I  have 
fought  through  some  big  fights  since  then,  and  there's 
no  man  I  had  as  soon  have  beside  me  in  a  scrap  as  that 
thin-faced,  scrawny-necked  old  chip  of  Maine  granite. 

X 

When  Ed  introduced  me  at  the  table,  Grace  made  a 
place  beside  her,  and  her  sister  Lou  hospitably  shoved 
over  a  plate  of  stew.  Then  Lou  smiled  at  me  and  opened 
fire  :  — 

"  We  read  all  about  you  in  the  papers  this  morning, 
Mr.  Harrington ! " 

"  Heh,  heh  !  "  Pa  Pierson  cackled. 

"  Say,  Lou,  I  don't  call  that  polite,"  Grace  protested 
in  an  affected  tone. 

"  Doir  t  mind  me,"  I  called  out.  "  I  guess  I'm  a  public 
character,  anyway." 

"  What  did  the  lady  say  when  she  found  she  was 
wrong  ?  "  Lou  went  on.  "  I  should  thing  she'd  want  to 
die,  doing  a  mean  thing  like  that." 

"  Did  she  give  you  any  little  souvenir  of  the  occasion  ?  " 
Dick  inquired. 

"  If  they  are  real  nice  folks,  I  should  think  they'd  try 
to  make  it  up  some  way,"  Grace  added. 

"But  what  we  want  to  know  first,"  Slocum  drawled 


42       THE   MEMOIRS    OF   AN   AMERICAN   CITIZEN 

gravely,  "  is,  did  you  take  the  purse,  and,  if  so,  where 
did  you  put  it  ?  " 

"  Why,  Mr.  Slocuin  ! "  Miss  Cox  sputtered,  not  catch 
ing  the  joke.  "What  a  thing  to  insinuate!  I  am  sure 
Mr.  Harrington  doesn't  look  like  that  — any  one  could 
see  he  wouldn't  steal." 

In  this  way  they  passed  me  back  and  forth,  up  and 
down  the  table,  until  the  last  scrap  of  meat  was  gnawed 
from  the  bone.  Then  they  sniffed  at  Jasonville.  Where 
was  it  ?  What  did  I  do  there  ?  AVhy  did  I  come  to  the 
city  ?  Miss  Cox  was  the  sharpest  one  at  the  questions. 
She  wanted  to  know  all  about  my  father's  store.  She 
had  already  got  Ed  a  place  as  delivery  clerk  in  the  Enter 
prise  Market,  and  there  might  be  an  opening  in  the  same 
store  for  me.  I  could  see  that  there  would  be  a  place  all 
right  if  I  met  the  approval  of  the  smart  little  cashier. 
It  has  never  been  one  of  my  faults  to  be  backward  with 
women,  —  all  except  May,  —  and  as  Miss  Hillary  Cox  was 
far  from  unprepossessing,  I  iixed  my  attention  on  her 
for  the  rest  of  the  evening. 

The  Pierson  girls  tired  of  me  quickly  enough,  as  they 
had  already  tired  of  Ed.  Lou  soon  ceased  to  smile  at 
me  and  open  her  eyes  in  her  silly  stare  when  I  made  a 
remark.  After  dinner  she  went  out  on  the  steps  to  wait 
for  a  beau,  who  was  to  take  her  to  a  dance.  Grace  sat 
awhile  to  chaff  with  the  lawyer's  clerk.  He  seemed  to 
make  fun  of  her,  but  I  could  see  that  he  liked  her  pretty 
well.  (It  must  be  a  stupid  sort  of  woman,  indeed,  who 
can't  get  hold  of  a  man  when  he  has  nothing  to  do  after 
his  work  except  walk  the  streets  or  read  a  book !)  There 


THE   PIEKSONS  43 

was  nothing  bad  in  either  of  the  girls :  they  were  just 
soft,  purring  things,  shut  up  all  day  long,  one  in  a  big 
shop  and  the  other  in  a  dentist's  office.  Of  course,  when 
they  got  home,  they  were  frantic  for  amusement,  dress, 
the  theatre  — anything  bright  and  happy;  anything  that 
would  make  a  change.  They  had  a  knack  of  stylish 
dressing,  and  on  the  street  looked  for  all  the  world  like  a 
rich  man's  daughters.  Nothing  bad  in  either  one,  then 

only  that  kind  gets  its  eyes  opened  too  late !  .  .  . 

The  next  morning  I  stepped  around  to  the  Enterprise 
Market,  and  Miss  Cox  introduced  me  to  the  proprietors. 
They  were  two  brothers,  sharp-looking  young  men,  up-to- 
date  in  their  ideas,  the  cashier  had  told  me,  and  bound 
to  make  the  Enterprise  the  largest  market  on  the  West 
Side.  Miss  Cox  had  evidently  said  a  good  word  for  me, 
and  that  afternoon  I  found  myself  tying  up  parcels  and 
taking  orders  at  ten  dollars  a  week. 

Not  a  very  brilliant  start  on  fortune's  road,  but  I  was 
glad  enough  to  get  it.  The  capable  cashier  kept  a 
friendly  eye  on  me,  and  saved  me  from  getting  into 
trouble.  Before  long  I  had  my  pay  raised,  and  then 
raised  again.  Ed  had  taken  hold  well,  too,  and  was 
given  more  pay.  He  was  more  content  with  his  job  than 
I  was.  The  work  suited  him  — the  driving  about  the 
city  streets,  the  rush  at  the  market  mornings,  the  big 
crates  of  country  stuff  that  came  smelling  fresh  from  the 
fields.  The  city  was  all  that  he  had  hoped  to  find  it. 
Not  so  to  me  — I  looked  beyond;  but  I  worked  hard  and 
took  my  cues  from  the  pretty  cashier,  who  grew  more 
friendly  every  day.  We  used  to  go  to  places  in  the 


44       THE   MEMOIRS   OF   AN   AMERICAN   CITIZEN 

evenings,  — lectures  and  concerts  mostly,  — for  Miss 
Cox  thought  the  theatre  was  wicked.  She  was  a  regu 
lar  church  attendant,  and  made  me  go  with  her  Sundays. 
She  was  thrifty,  too,  and  taught  me  to  be  stingy  with  my 
quarters  and  halves. 


Enterprise  Market. 


The  first  day  I  could  take  off  I  went  to  the  police 
station  and  paid  my  loan  from  the  judge.  I  had  to  wait 
an  hour  before  I  could  speak  to  him,  while  he  ground  out 
a  string  of  drunks  and  assaults,  shooting  out  his  sentences 
like  a  rapid-fire  battery.  When  I  finally  got  his  attention, 
he  turned  one  eye  on  me  :  — 


THE    PIERSONS  45 

"  Well,  Edward,  so  you  haven't  gone  home  yet ! "  And 
that  was  all  he  said  as  he  dropped  the  coin  into  his 
pocket.  (I  hope  that  my  paying  back  that  money  made 
him  merciful  to  the  next  young  tramp  that  was  cast  up 
there  before  him !) 

After  I  had  paid  the  judge  I  strolled  down  to  the  South 
Side,  into  the  new  residence  district,  with  some  idea  of 
seeing  where  the  young  lady  lived  who  had  first  had  me 
arrested  and  then  wanted  to  reform  me.  When  I  came 
to  the  number  she  had  written  in  the  memorandum-book, 
there  was  a  piece  of  crape  on  the  door.  It  gave  me  a 
shock.  I  hung  around  for  a  while,  not  caring  to  disturb 
the  people  inside,  and  yet  hoping  to  find  out  that  it  was 
not  the  young  lady  who  had  died.  Finally  I  came  away, 
having  made  up  my  mind,  somehow,  that  it  was  the  young 
lady,  and  feeling  sorry  that  she  was  gone.  That  night 
I  opened  the  memorandum-book  she  had  given  me,  and 
began  a  sort  of  diary  in  a  cramped,  abbreviated  hand. 
The  first  items  read  as  follows  :  — 

September  30.  Giv.  this  book  by  young  la.  who  tho't 
I  stole  her  purse.  She  hopes  I  may  take  the  right  road. 

October  1.  —  Got  job  in  Ent— mark.,  1417  W.  VanB 
St.  $10.  Is  this  the  right  road  ? 

October  23. —  Went  to  address  young  lad.  gav.  me. 
Found  crape  on  the  door.  Hope  it's  the  old  man. 

From  time  to  time  since  then  I  have  taken  out  the 
little  black  memorandum-book,  and  made  other  entries  of 
those  happenings  in  my  life  that  seemed  to  me  especially 
important  —  sometimes  a  mere  list  of  figures  or  names. 


46       THE    MEMOIRS    OF    AN   AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

writing  them  in  very  small.  It  lies  here  before  me  now, 
;  and  out  of  these  bare  notes,  keywords  as  it  were,  there 
'  rise  before  me  many  facts,  —  the  deeds  of  twenty-five 

years. 

When  I  got  back  to  the  Piersons'  for  dinner,  Miss  Cox 
was  curious  to  know  what  I  had  done  with  my  first  day 
off. 

"  I  bet  he's  been  to  see  that  girl  who  had  him  arrested," 
Lou  suggested  mischievously.  "And  from  the  way  he 
looks  I  guess  she  told  him  she  hadn't  much  use  for  a 
butcher-boy." 

Pa  Pierson  laughed;  he  was  a  great  admirer  of  his 
daughter's  wit. 

"  I  don't  think  he's  that  much  of  a  fool,  to  waste  his 
time  trapesing  about  after  lier"  Hillary  Cox  snapped 
back. 

"'Well,  I  did  look  up  the  house,"  I  admitted,  and 
added,  "  but  the  folks  weren't  at  home." 

After  supper  we  sat  out  on  the  steps,  and  Hillary 
asked  me  what  kind  of  a  place  the  young  woman  lived 
in.  I  told  her  about  the  crape  on  the  door,  and  she 
looked  at  me  disgustedly. 

"  Why  didn't  you  ask  ?  "  she  demanded. 

"  I  didn't  care  to  know  if  it  was  so,  perhaps." 

"  I  don't  see  as  you  have  any  particular  reason  to  care, 
one  way  or  the  other,"  she  retorted.  And  she  went  off 
for  that  evening  somewhere  with  Ed.  For  the  want  of 
anything  better  to  do  I  borrowed  a  book  from  tin-  law 
student,  who  was  studying  in  his  room,  ami  thus,  by  way 


THE   PIERSONS  47 

of  an  accident,  began  a  habit  of  reading  and  talking  over 
books  with  Slocum. 

So  I  was  soon  fitted  into  my  hole  in  the  city.  In  that 
neighborhood  there  must  have  been  many  hundreds  of 
places  like  Ma  Pierson's  boarding-house.  The  checker 
board  of  prairie  streets  cut  up  the  houses  like  marble  cake 
—  all  the  same,  three-story -an  d-mansard-roof,  yellow 
brick,  with  long  lines  of  dirty,  soft  stone  steps  stretching 
from  the  wooden  sidewalks  to  the  second  stories.  And 
the  group  of  us  there  in  the  little  basement  dining  room, 
noisy  with  the  rattle  of  the  street  cars,  and  dirty  with  the 
smoke  of  factory  chimneys  in  the  rear,  was  a  good  deal 
like  the  others  in  the  other  houses  —  stragglers  on  the 
outside  of  prosperity,  trying  hard  to  climb  up  somewhere 
in  the  bread-and-butter  order  of  life,  and  to  hold  on  tight 
to  what  we  had  got.  No  one,  I  suppose,  ever  came  to 
Chicago,  at  least  in  those  days,  without  a  hope  in  his 
pocket  of  landing  at  the  head  of  the  game  sometime.  / 
Even  old  Ma  Pierson  cherished  a  secret  dream  of  a  rich 
marriage  for  one  or  other  of  her  girls ! 

Hillary  Cox  smiled  on  me  again  the  next  day,  and  we 
were  as  good  friends  as  ever.  As  I  have  said,  the  ener 
getic  cashier  of  the  Enterprise  Market  had  taken  me  in 
hand  and  was  forming  me  to  be  a  business  man.  She 
was  a  smart  little  woman,  and  had  lots  of  good  principles 
besides.  She  believed  in  religion  on  Sundays,  as  she 
believed  in  business  on  week  days.  So  on  the  Sabbath 
morning  we  would  leave  Ed  and  Lou  and  Dick  Pierson 
yawning  over  the  breakfast  table,  while  Slocum  and  I 
escorted  Grace  and  Hillary  downtown  to  hear  some  cele- 


48        THE    MEMOIKS    OF    AN    AMKKK'AN    CITIZEN 

brated  preacher  in  one  of  the  prominent  churches. 
Hillary  Cox  had  no  relish  for  the  insignificant  and  hum 
ble  in  religion,  such  as  we  might  have  found  around  the 
\  corner.  She  wanted  the  best  there  was  to  be  had,  she 
said,  and  she  wanted  to  see  the  people  who  were  so  much 
talked  about  in  the  papers. 

Perhaps  the  rich  and  prominent  citizens  made  more 
of  a  point  of  going  to  church  in  these~days.  than  they 
do  now.  It  was  a  pretty  inferior  church  society  that 
couldn't  show  up  two  or  three  of  the-eit^s  solid  mer 
chants,  who  came  every  Sunday  with  their  women,  all 
dressed  in  their  smartest  and  best.  Hillary  and  Grace 
seemed  to  know  most  of  these  people  by  sight.  Women 
are  naturally  curious  about  one  another,  and  I  suppose 
the  girls  saw  their  pictures  and  learned  their  names  in 
the  newspapers.  And  in  this  way  I,  too,  learned  to  know 
by  sight  some  of  the  men  whom  later  it  was  my  fortune 
to  meet  elsewhere. 

There  was  Steele,  the  great  dry-goods  merchant,  and 
Purington,  whose  works  for  manufacturing  farming  tools 
were  just  behind  Ma  Pierson's  house;  Lardner,  a  great 
hardware  merchant;  Maybricks,  a  wholesale  grocer; 
York,_  j._rich  lumberman  —  most  of  them  thin-faced, 
^  shrewd  Yankees,) who  had  seized  that  tide  of  fate  which 
the  poet  tells  us  sweeps  men  to  fortune.  And  there  were 
others,  perhaps  less  honorably  known  as  citizens,  but 
equally  important  financially  :  Vitzer,  who  became  known 
later  as  the  famous  duke  of  gas,  and  Maxim,  who  already 
had  begun  to  stretch  out  his  fingers  over  the  street-car 
lines.  This  man  had  made  his  money  buying  up  tax 


THE   PIERSONS 


49 


titles,  that  one  building  cars,  and  another  laying  out 
railroads,  and  wrecking  them,  too.  They  were  the  people 
of  the  land ! 

One  fine  winter  morning,  as  the  four  of  us  idled  on  the 
sidewalk  opposite  a  prominent  South  Side  church  that 


"That's  Strauss!" 


was  discharging  its  prosperous  congregation  into  the 
street,  Slocum  nudged  me  and  pointed  to  a  group  of  well- 
dressed  people  —  two  or  three  women  and  a  short,  stout, 
smooth-shaven  man  — who  were  standing  on  the  steps  of 
the  church,  surveying  the  scene  and  bowing  to  their 
neighbors. 


50        THE    MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AM  El:  K 'AN    CITIZEN 

"  That's  Strauss  !  " 

It  was  not  necessary  to  say  more.  Even  in  those  d;i\s 
the  greatjJStraussvhad  made  his  name  as  well  known  as 
that  of  the  father  of  our  country.  lie  it  was  who  knew 
each  morning  whether  the  rains  had  fallen  on  the  plains 
beneath  the  Andes;  how  many  cattle  on  the  hoof  had 
entered  the  gates  of  Omaha  and  Kansas  City ;  how  tight 
the  pinch  of  starvation  set  upon  Kussian  bellies;  and 
whether  the  Sultan's  subjects  had  bought  their  bread  of 
Liverpool.  Flesh  and  grain,  meat  and  bread  —  Strauss 
held  them  in  his  hand,  and  he  dealt  them  forth  in  the 
markets  of  the  world  ! 

Is  it  any  wonder  that  I  looked  hard  at  the  portly,  red- 
faced  man,  standing  there  on  the  steps  of  his  temple. 
where,  with  his  women  and  children,  he  had  been  wor 
shipping  his  GodJ 

"  My !  "  said  Grace,  "  Mrs.  Strauss  is  plain  enough, 
and  just  common-looking." 

(I  have  noticed  that  women  find  it  hard  to  reconcile 
themselves  to  a  rich  man's  early  taste  in  their  sex.) 

"She  don't  dress  very  stylish,  that's  true,"  Hillary 
observed  thoughtfully.  "  lint  it  weren't  so  very  long 
ago,  I  guess,  that  she  was  saving  his  money." 

Strauss,  surrounded  by  his  women  folk,  marched  up 
the  avenue  in  solemn  order.  We  followed  along  slowly 
on  the  other  side  of  the  street. 

"  He  didn't  make  his  pile  at  the  Enterprise  Market," 
Grace  remarked.     She  spoke  the  idea  that  was  in  all  our 
minds  :  how  did  he  and  the  others  make  their  money  ? 
"I  guess  they  began  like   other  folks,''  Hillary  con- 


THE   PIERSONS  51 

tended,  "  saving  their  earnings  and  not  putting  all  their 
money  in  their  stomachs  and  on  their  backs." 

This  last  was  aimed  at  Grace,  who  was  pretty  smartly 
dressed. 

"  Well,"  said  Slocum,  dryly,  "  probably  by  this  time 
Strauss  has  something  more  than  his  savings  in  the 
bank." 

Thus  we  followed  them  down  the  street,  speculating 
on  the  great  packer's  success,  on  the  success  of  all  the 
fortunate  ones  in  the  great  game  of  the  market,  wonder 
ing  what  magic  power  these  men  possessed  -to  lift  them-  ' 
selves  out  of  the  mass  of  people  like  ourselves.  Pretty 
simple  of  us,  perhaps  you  think,  hanging  around  on  the 
street  a  good  winter  morning  and  gossiping  about  our 
rich  neighbors !  But  natural  enough,  too :  we  had  no 
place  to  loaf  in,  except  Ma  Pierson's  smelly  dining  room, 
and  nothing  to  do  with  our  Sunday  holiday  but  to  walk 
around  the  streets  and  stare  up  at  the  handsome  new 
houses  and  our  well-dressed  and  prosperous  neighbors. 
Every  keen  boy  who  looks  out  on  life  from  the  city 
sidewalk  has  a  pretty  vigorous  idea  that  if  he  isn't  as 
good  as  the  next  man,  at  least  he  will  make  as  much 
money  if  he  can  only  learn  the  secret.  We  read  about 
the  rich  and  their  doings  in  the  newspapers ;  we  see 
them  in  the  streets ;  their  horses  and  carriages  flash  by 
us  —  do  you  wonder  that  some  poor  clerks  on  a  Sunday 
gape  at  the  Steeles  and  the  Strausses  from  the  side 
walk  ? 

What  was  the  golden  road?  These  men  had  found 
it  —  hundreds,  thousands  of  them,  —  farming  tools,  rail- 


52        THE    MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

roads,  groceries,  gas,  dry-goods.  It  made  no  matter 
what :  fortunes  were  building  on  every  side ;  the  flowers 
of  success  were  blooming  before  our  eyes.  To  take  my 
place  with  these  mighty  ones  — I  thought  a  good  deal 
about  that  these  days !  And  I  remember  Grace  saying 
sentimentally  to  Slocum  that  Sunday :  - 

"  You  fellers  keep  thinkin'  of  nothin'  but  money  and 
how  you're  goin'  to  make  it.  Perhaps  rich  folks  ain't 
the  only  happy  ones  in  the  world." 

"  Yes,"  Hillary  chimed  in,  "  there's  such  a  thing  as 
being  too  greedy  to  eat." 

"  What  else  are  we  here  for  except  to  make  money  ?  " 
Slocum  demanded  more  bitterly  than  usual. 

He  raised  his  long  arm  in  explanation  and  swept  it 
to  and  fro  over  the  straggling  prairie  city,  with  its 
rough,  patched  look.  I  didn't  see  what  there  was  in  the 
city  to  object  to:  it  was  just  a  place  like  any  other —  to 
work,  eat,  and  sleep  in.  Later,  however,  when  I  saw  the 
little  towns  back  East,  the  pleasant  hills,  the  old  homes 
in  the  valleys,  and  the  red-brick  house  on  the  elm-shaded 
street  in  Portland,  then  I  knew  what  Slocum  meant. 

Whatever  was  there  in  Chicago  in  1877  to  live  for  but 
Success  ? 


Of    THE 

UNIVERSITY 

of 


CHAPTER  V 

A  MAX'S  BUSINESS 

Signs  of  trouble  at  the  Enterprise  — A  possible  partnership  —  He 
travels  fastest  who  travels  alone  — John  Carmichael  —  Feeding 
the  peoples  of  the  earth  —  I  drive  for  Dround 

"Do  you  see  that  big,  fat  fellow  talking  with  Mr. 
Joyce?"  the  cashier  whispered  to  me  one  morning  as 
I  passed  her  cage.  "  He's  Dround's  manager  —  his  name 
is  Carmichael.  When  he  shows  up,  there  is  trouble  com 
ing  to  some  one." 

Dround  &  Co.  was  the  name  of  the  packing  firm  that 
the  Enterprise  dealt  with.  I  tied  up  my  bundles  and 
made  up  my  cash  account,  thinking  a  good  deal  about 
the  appearance  of  the  burly  manager  of  the  packing 
house.  Pretty  soon  Mr.  Carmichael  came  out  into  the 
front  store  very  red  in  the  face,  followed  by  the  elder 
Joyce,  who  had  been  drinking,  and  they  had  some 
words.  The  cashier  winked  at  me. 

The  Enterprise  had  been  doing  a  good  business.  It 
was  run  on  a  new  principle  for  those  days  —  strictly 
cash  and  all  cut  prices,  a  cent  off  here  and  there,  a 
great  sale  of  some  one  thing  each  day,  which  the  house 
handled  speculatively.  The  brothers  Joyce  kept  branch 
ing  out,  but  there  wasn't  any  money  to  speak  of  behind 
the  firm.  The  Drounds  and  a  wholesale  grocer  had 

53 


54        THE   MKMOIHS    OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

backed  it  from  the  start.  Nevertheless,  we  should  have 
got  on  all  right  if  the  elder  Joyce  had  given  up  drink 
ing  and  the  younger  one  had  not  taken  to  driving  fast 
horses.  Latterly  no  matter  how  big  a  business  we  did, 
the  profits  went  the  wrong  way. 

That  evening,  as  Hillary  Cox  and  I  walked  over  to  the 
Piersons',  she  said  to  me  abruptly,  "  There's  going  to  be 
a  new  sign  at  the  Enterprise  before  long ! " 

The  smart  little  cashier  must  have  divined  the  situa 
tion  as  I  had. 

"  Cox's  Market  ?  "  I  suggested  jokingly. 

"  Why  not  Harrington  &  Cox  ?  "  she  retorted  with  a 
nervous  little  laugh.  We  were  on  the  steps  then,  and 
Ed  joined  us,  so  that  I  did  not  have  to  answer  her 
invitation.  But  all  through  the  meal  I  kept  thinking 
of  her  suggestion.  It  was  nearly  two  years  since  she 
had  introduced  me  to  the  Enterprise,  and  I  had  saved 
up  several  hundred  dollars  in  the  meantime,  which  I 
wanted  to  put  into  some  business  of  my  own.  But  it 
did  not  quite  suit  my  card  to  run  a  retail  market. 
After  supper  the  others  left  us  in  the  dining  room,  and 
when  we  were  alone  Hillary  said :  — 

"  Well,  what  do  you  think  of  the  firm  name  ?  It 
wouldn't  be  so  impossible.  I've  got  considerable  money 
saved  up,  and  I  guess  you  have  some  in  the  bank,  too. 
It  wouldn't  be  the  first  time  in  this  town  that  a  clerk's 
name  followed  a  busted  owner's  over  the  door." 

She  spoke  in  a  light  kind  of  way,  but  a  tone  in  her 
voice  made  me  look  up.  It  struck  me  suddenly  that  this 
thing  might  mean  a  partnership  for  life,  as  well  as  a 


A  MAN'S  BUSINESS  55 

partnership  for  meat  and  groceries.  Hillary  Cox  was  an 
attractive  woman,  and  she  would  make  a  splendid  wife 
for  a  poor  man,  doing  her  part  to  save  his  money. 
Between  us,  no  doubt,  we  could  make  a  good  business 
out  of  the  old  Enterprise,  and  more,  too! 

"That  firm  name  sounds  pretty  well,"  I  answered 
slowly,  somewhat  embarrassed. 

«  Yes  —  I  thought  it  pretty  good." 

Suddenly  she  turned  her  face  shyly  away  from  my 
eyes.  She  was  a  woman,  and  a  lovable,  warm-hearted 
one.  Perhaps  she  was  dreaming  of  a  home  and  a  family 
—  of  just  that  plain,  ordinary  happiness  which  our  unam 
bitious  fathers  and  mothers  took  out  of  life.  I  liked 
her  all  the  better  for  it ;  but  when  I  tried  to  say  some 
thing  tender,  that  would  meet  her  wish,  I  couldn't  find 
a  word  from  my  heart :  there  was  nothing  but  a  hollow 
feeling  inside  me.  And  the  thought  came  over  me,  hard 
and  selfish,  that  a  man  like  me,  who  was  bound  on  a 
long  road,  travels  best  alone. 

"I  don't  know  as  I  want  to  sell  coffee  and  potatoes 
all  my  life,"  I  said  at  last,  and  my  voice  sounded  colder 
than  I  meant  to  make  it. 

"Oh!"  she  gave  a  little  gasp,  as  if  some  one  had 
struck  her.  "  You're  very  ambitious,  Mr.  Harrington," 
she  said  coldly.  "I  hope  you'll  get  all  you  think  you 
deserve,  I  am  sure." 

"  Well,  that  wouldn't  be  much  —  only  I  am  going  to 
try  for  more  than  I  deserve  —  see  ?"  I  laughed  as 
easily  as  I  could. 

We  talked  a  little  longer,  and  then  she  made  some 


56        THE    MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

kind  of  excuse  —  we  had  planned  to  go  out  that  even 
ing —  and  left  me,  bidding  me  good  night  as  if  I  were 
a  stranger.  I  felt  small  and  mean,  yet  glad,  too,  to 
speak  the  truth  —  that  I  hadn't  made  a  false  step  just 
there  and  pretended  to  more  than  I  could  carry  through. 

Some  time  later  Slocum  looked  in  at  the  door,  and, 
seeing  me  alone,  came  into  the  room.  He  had  a  grim 
kind  of  smile  on  his  face,  as  if  he  suspected  what  had 
been  happening. 

"  Where's  Grace  ?  "  I  asked  him. 

"Just  about  where  your  Hillary  is,"  he  answered 
dryly ;  "  gone  off  with  another  fellow." 

I  laughed.     We  looked  at  each  other  for  some  time. 

"  Well  ?  "  I  said. 

"  He  travels  fastest  who  travels  alone,"  he  drawled, 
using  the  very  words  that  had  been  in  my  mind.  "  But 
it  is  a  shame  —  Miss  Cox  is  a  nice  woman." 

"  So  is  the  other." 

"  Yes,  but  it  can't  be  —  or  anything  like  it." 

And 'the  difference  between  us  was  that  I  believe  he 
really  cared. 

So  the  Enterprise  Market  crumbled  rapidly  to  its  end, 
while  I  kept  my  eye  open  for  a  landing-place  when  I 
should  have  to  jump.  One  day  I  was  sent  over  to 
Dround's  to  see  why  our  usual  order  of  meats  hadn't 
been  delivered.  I  was  referred  to  the  manager.  Car- 
michael,  as  I  have  said,  was  a  burly,  red-faced  Irishman 
—  and  hot-tempered.  His  black  hair  stood  up  all  over 
his  head,  and  when  he  moved  he  seemed  to  wrench  his 


A  MAN'S  BUSINESS  57 

whole  big  carcass  with  the  effort.  As  I  made  my  errand 
known  to  him,  he  growled  something  at  me.  I  gathered 
that  he  didn't  think  favorably  of  the  Enterprise  and 
all  that  belonged  thereto. 

"  They  can't  have  any  more,"  he  said.  "  I  told  your 
boss  so  the  last  time  I  was  over." 

I  hung  on,  not  knowing  exactly  what  to  say  or  do. 

"  I  guess  they  must  have  it  this  time,"  I  ventured 
after  a  while. 

"  <  Guess  they  must  have  it ' !     Who  are  you  ?  " 

He  thrust  his  big  head  over  the  top  of  his  desk  and 
looked  at  me,  laying  his  cigar  down  deliberately,  as  if  he 
meant  to  throw  me  out  of  the  office  for  my  impudence. 

"Oh!"  I  said  as  easily  as  I  could,  "I'm  one  of  their 

help." 

"  Well,  my  son,  maybe  you  know  better  than  I  what 
they  do  with  their  money  ?  They  don't  pay  us." 

I  knew  he  was  trying  to  pump  me  about  the  Enter 
prise.  I  smiled  and  told  him  nothing,  but  I  got  that 
order  delivered.  Once  or  twice  more,  having  been 
successful  with  the  manager,  I  was  sent  on  the  same 
errand.  Carmichael  swore  at  me,  bullied  me,  and  jollied 
me,  as  his  mood  happened  to  be.  Finally  he  said  in 
earnest :  — 

"  Joyce's  got  to  the  end  of  his  rope,  kid.  You  needn't 
come  in  here  again.  The  firm  will  collect  in  the  usual 


way  " 


I  had  seen  all  along  that  this  was  bound  to  come,  and 
had  made  up  my  mind  what  I  should  do  in  the  event. 
"Do   you  hear?"    the  Irishman  roared.     "What   are 


58 


THK   MEMOIRS    OF   AN    AMERICAN   CITIXKN 


you  standing  there  for  ?     Get  along  and  tell  your  boss 
I'll  put  a  sheriff  over  there.'7 

"  I  guess  I  have  come  to  stay,"  I  replied  easily. 
"  Come  to  stay  ?  "  he  said  with  a  grin.     "  How  much, 

kid?" 

" All      you 
will  give  me." 
"What  are 
you  getting?" 
"  Twenty." 
"  I'll     give 
you       fifteen 
to     drive     a 
wagon,"      he 
said   offhand, 
"and  I'll  fire 
you  in  a  week 

if  you  haven't  anything  better 
with  you  than  your  cheek." 

"All  right,"  I  said  coolly, 
not  letting  him  see  that  I  was 
ruffled  by  his  rough  tongue. 

In  that  way  I  made  the 
second  round  of  the  ladder, 
and  went  whistling  out  of 
Dround's  packing-house  into 
the  murky  daylight  of  the 
Stock  Yards. 

I  liked  it  all.     Something  told  me  that  here  was  my 
field  —  this  square  plot  of  prairie,  where  is  carried  on  the 


uZ>o  you  hear  ?"  the 
man  roared. 


59 


GO        THK    MK.Mnins    OK    AN     A  M  Ki;  I  < 'A  N    CITIZEN 

largest  commissariat  business  of  the  world.  In  spite  of 
its  filth  and  its  ugly  look,  it  fired  my  blood  to  be  a  part 
of  it.  There's  something  pretty  close  to  the  earth  in  all 
of  us,  if  we  have  the  stomach  to  do  the  world's  work : 
men  of  bone  and  sinew  and  rich  blood,  the  strong  men 
who  do  the  deeds  at  the  head  of  ^the  ranks,  feed  close  to 
the  earth.  The  lowing  cattle  in  the  pens,  the  squealing 
j  hogs  in  the  cars,  the  smell  of  the  fat  carcasses  in  the  heavy 

,  wagons  drawn  by  the  sleek  Percherons  —  it  all  made  me 
think  of  the  soft,  fertile  fields  from  which  we  take  the 
grain  —  the  blood  and  flesh  that  enter  into  our  being. 

The  bigness  of  it  all !  The  one  sure  fact  before  every 
son  and  daughter  of  woman  is  the  need  of  daily  bread  and 
meat.  To  feed  the  people  of  the  earth  —  that  is  a  man's 
business.  My  part  was  to  drive  a  wagon  for  Dround  at 
fifteen  a  week,  but  I  walked  out  of  the  Yards  with  the 

,     swagger  of  a  packer  ! 


CHAPTER   VI 

FIRST    BLOOD 

Wholesale— The  little  envies  of  life  — Learning  how  to  read  — 
What  there  might  be  in  sausage  —  Schemes  — A  rise  in  life  — 
Big  John"1  s  favoring  eye  —  Going  short  of  pork —  Uncertainty 
— Five  thousand  dollars  in  the  bank 

I  TOLD  them  all  at  the  supper  table  that  evening  how  I 
was  going  into  wholesale  with  Henry  1.  Dround  &  Co. 
Slocum  nodded  approvingly,  but  before  any  one  could  say 
a  word  of  congratulation,  Hillary  Cox  snapped  this  at 
me :  — 

"  So  you  were  looking  out  for  yourself  with  that  Cai 
rn  ichael  man !  I  thought  the  Enterprise  wasn't  big 
enough  for  your  talents.  A  desk  in  the  inside  office,  I 
s'pose  ?  " 

"  Not  quite  yet,"  I  laughed ;  but  I  didn't  say  how  little 
my  job  was  to  be. 

Miss  Cox  had  given  me  up.  I  don't  believe  she  meant 
to  be  disagreeable,  but  somehow  we  had  become  strangers, 
all  at  once.  There  were  no  more  gossips  on  the  front 
steps  or  Sunday  parties.  Ed  went  to  church  with  her  in 
my  place.  They  were  getting  very  close,  those  two,  and 
it  didn't  take  a  shrewd  eye  to  see  what  was  going  to 
happen  sometime  soon. 

61 


62 


THE   MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 


The  others  were  more  generous  than  the  little  cashier 
and  inclined  to  make  too  much  of  my  good  fortune.  For 
the  first  time  in  my  life  I  had  the  pleasure  of  knowing 
that  folks  were  looking  up  at  me  and  envying  me,  and  I 
liked  the  feeling  of  consequence.  I  let  them  think  I  was 
to  get  big  wages. 

"  I  suppose  you'll  be  leaving  this  ranch  before  long  ?  » 
Lou  suggested. 

"  Oh,  I  shouldn't  wonder  if  I  might  move  over  to  the 
Palmer  House." 

A  look  of  consternation  spread  over  Ma  Pierson's  face 
at  my  joking  words.     She  saw  a  quarter  of  her  regular 
income  wiped  off  the  slate.     After  the  others  had  gone  I 
told  her  it  was  only  a  joke,  and  that  I  should  stay  with 
her  "until  I  got  married."     She  cried  a  little,  and  said 
things  were  bad  with  her  and  getting  worse  all  the  time. 
Lately  Lou  had  taken  to  going  with  such  kind  of  men 
that  she  had  no  peace  at  all.    I  tried  to  cheer  her  up,  and 
it  was  a  number  of  years  after  that  before  I  could  bring 
myself  to  leave  her  place,  although  the  food  got  worse 
and  worse,  and  the  house  more  messy  and  slack. 
/      Even  when,  later,  I    began  to  make  a  good   deal  of 
(     money,  I  did  not  care  to  change  my  way  of  life.     At  Ma 
v,  Pierson's  were  the  only  people  I  knew  well  in  the  city, 
and  though  Grace,  and  Lou,  and  Ed,  and  Dick  weren't 
the  most  brilliant  folks  in   the  city,  they  were  honest, 
warm-hearted  souls  and  good  enough  company.     And  the 
law  clerk,  Slocum,  was  much  more.     He  meant  a  good 
deal  to  me.     He  taught  me  how  to  read— I  mean  how 
to  take  in  ideas  as  they  were  thought  out  by  those  who 


FIRST   BLOOD  63 

put  them  in  books.  He  lent  me  his  own  books,  all 
marked  and  pencilled  with  notes  and  references,  which 
showed  me  how  a  well-trained  mind  stows  away  its  in 
formation,  how  it  compares  and  weighs  and  judges  —  in 
short,  how  it  thinks. 

We  had  many  a  good  talk,  sitting  on  the  dusty  stone 
steps  in  our  shirt  sleeves  late  summer  nights,  when  it  was 
too  hot  to  sleep.  He  had  read  a  deal  of  history  and  poli 
tics  and  economics  as  well  as  his  law,  and  when  it  came 
to  argument,  he  could  shut  me  up  with  a  mouthful  of 
facts  that  showed  me  how  small  my  lookout  on  the  world 
was.  I  remember  how  he  put  me  through  his  old  Mill, 
making  me  chew  hard  at  every  point  until  I  had  mas 
tered  the  theory ;  then  he  fed  me  Darwin  and  Spencer, 
and  Stubbs  and  Lecky,  and  a  lot  more  hard  nuts.  And 
I  think  that  I  owe  no  one  in  the  world  quite  so  much 
as  I  do  that  keen,  silent  Yankee,  who  taught  me  how  to 
read  books  and  know  what  is  in  them. 

Meantime  I  was  not  doing  anything  wonderful  over 
at  the  Yards.  For  several  months  the  big  manager 
scarce  looked  my  way  when  he  came  across  me,  while 
I  drove  and  made  deliveries  to  the  city  trade.  Dround 
&  Co.'s  customers  were  mostly  on  the  West  Side,  in  the 
poorer  wards  along  the  river,  where  Jews  and  foreigners 
live.  I  used  to  wonder  why  the  firm  didn't  try  for  a 
better  trade ;  bat  later,  when  I  learned  something  about 
the  private  agreements  among  the  packers,  I  saw  why 
each  kept  to  his  own  field.  I  soon  came  to  know  our 
territory  pretty  well,  and  got  acquainted  with  the  little 
markets.  My  experience  at  the  Enterprise  gave  me  an 


64       THE  MEMOIRS   OF   AN   AMERICAN   CITIZEN 

idea  that  I  thought  to  turn  to  some  account  with 
Dround's  manager:  One  day,  as  I  was  driving  into 
the  Yards,  I  met  the  Irishman,  and  he  threw 


,  kid!     What's  the   good  word?"     And  he 
climbed  affably  into  the  seat  beside  me  to  drive  up  1 

the  office. 

Here  was  my  chance,  and  I  took  it. 

«  Why  don't  Dround's  handle  sausage?  » 

manager. 

«  What  do  you  know  about  sausage  ? 
I  told  him  what  I  had  in  mind.     When  I  worked 
the  Enterprise  we  used  to  have  trouble  in  selling 
sausage       Women   were   afraid   of   it,  thinking   i 
made  from  any  foul  scraps  in  the  store.     So,  to  md 
the  customers  take  it,  I  hit  on  the  plan  when  we  had 
fresh  sausage  meat  of  putting  some  of  the  sausages  by 
in  clean  little  pasteboard  boxes,   and  the   next  time 
particular  customer  came  in  I  would  call  her  attention 
to  one  of  the  boxes,  "which  I  had  put  aside  for 
specially  "     And  she  would  take  it  every  time.     In  this 
way   the   Enterprise   built   up   a  considerable   trade 
sausages.     The  same  condition  existed  in  other  mark( 
as  I  knew;  good  customers  were  afraid  to  eat  the  ordi 
nary  sausage.     So,  I  thought,  why  shouldn't  the  packing 
house  put  up  a  superior  kind  of  sausage  in  nice 
boxes,  with  a  fancy  name  ?     The  marketmen  could  rcte 
them  handily.     Carmichael  seemed  to  be  impressed  wit 
my  idea:  he  asked  questions  and  said  he  would  think 
over      That  encouraged  me  to  spring  another  scheme  on 


What  do  you  know  about  sausage  ?"  he  asked. 


65 


6G       THE   MEMOIRS   OF   AN   AMERICAN   CITIZEN 

him.      Dround's  trade  was  in  the  Jewish  quarters,  but 
of  course  we  didn't  sell  to  the  real  Jews. 

"  Why  not  get  some  old  rabbi  and  make  kosher  meat 
—  the  real  article  ?  Strauss  and  the  other  packers  don't 
handle  it.  We  might  have  the  market  to  ourselves,  and 
it  is  a  big  one,  too." 

"  Kid,  you've  got  a  head  on  you,"  big  John  said  to  me 
with  warmth.  And  I  saw  myself  a  member  of  the  firm 
next  week ! 

It  didn't  work  as  easily  as  that,  however.  The  next 
time  I  saw  the  manager  I  asked  him  about  sausage  and 
kosher  meat,  and  he  scowled.  It  seems  he  had  presented 
my  ideas  to  Mr.  Henry  I.  Dround,  and  that  gentleman 
had  turned  them  down.  He  was  a  packer,  so  the  head 
of  the  house  said,  and  no  cat's-meat  man,  to  retail  sau 
sages  in  paper  packages  to  the  public.  The  same  way 
with  the  kosher  meat  idea :  his  business  was  the  packing 
business,  and  the  firm  wasn't  trying  any  ventures.  It 
seemed  to  me  that  Mr.  Henry  I.  Dround  lacked  enter 
prise  ;  I  felt  that  his  manager  would  have  given  my  ideas 

a  trial. 

It  was  not  long  after  that,  however,  before  Carmichael 

took  me  into  the  office  and  made  me  a  kind  of  helper 

to  him,   sending  me  up  and   down   the   city  to  collect 

accounts,  look  after  the  little  markets  that  traded  with 

Dround's,  and  try  on  the  sly  to 'steal  some  other  fellow's 

\  business  —  that  is,  to  break  secretly  one  of  those  trade 

\agreements    which  .the    packers    were    always   making 

together,  and  always  breaking  here  and  there,  and,  when 

caught,  promising  each  other  to  be  good,  and  never  do 


FIRST   BLOOD  67 

it  again  — until  the  next  opportunity  offered,  of  course! 
This  was  more  or  less  confidential  and  delicate  business, 
and  I  was  not  let  into  the  inside  all  at  once.  But  I  said 
nothing,  and  kept  my  eyes  open.  I  began  to  know  some 
things  about  the  business,  and  I  could  guess  a  few  more. 
I  learned  pretty  soon  that  Henry  I.  Dround  &  Co.  was 
not  one  of  the  strongest  concerns  in  the  city ;  that  it 
was  being  squeezed  in  the  ribs  by  the  great  Strauss  over 
the  way that,  if  it  had  not  been  for  the  smart  Irish 
man,  Strauss  might  take  the  bread  out  of  our  mouths. 

Next  to  Slocum,  I  owe  big  John  Carmichael  more  than 
I  could  ever  pay  in  money.  He  was  an  ignorant,  hot- 
tempered,  foul-mouthed  Irishman,  who  had  almost  been 
born  in  the  Yards,  and  had  seen  little  else  than  the 
inside  of  a  packing-house  all  his  life.  He  couldn't  write 
a  grammatical  letter  or  speak  an  unblasphemous  sen 
tence.  But  it  didn't  take  me  long  to  see  that  Dround 
&  Co.  was  Carmichael,  the  manager,  and  that  I  was  in 
the  best  kind  of  luck  to  be  there  under  him,  and,  so  to 
speak,  part  way  in  his  confidence.  .  .  . 

Well,  as  I  said,  I  got  an  inkling  from  time  to  time  how 
there  was  a  private  agreement  between  the  large  firms  to 
carve  up  the  market,  retail  as  well  as  wholesale,  and 
that  when  one  of  the  firms  felt  that  they  could  do  it 
safely  they  would  sneak  around  the  agreement  (which, 
of  course,  was  illegal)  and  try  to  steal  their  neighbors' 
trade.  Carmichael  managed  this  business  himself,  and 
now  and  then,  when  he  saw  I  knew  how  to  keep  my 
mouth  shut,  he  would  trust  some  detail  of  it  to  me. 
But  I  was  getting  only  twenty  dollars  a  week,  and  no 


68        THE    MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITl/KN 

rosy  prospects.     My  little  schemes  of  making  sausages 
on  a  large  scale  and  kosher  meat  had  been  turned  down. 
I  stowed  them  away  in  my  mind  for  future  use.     Mean 
time,  after  working  at  the  Yards  for  nearly  two  years, 
I  had  managed  to  lay  by  about  a  thousand  dollars,  what 
with  my  savings  when  I  was  at  the  Enterprise.     That 
thousand  dollars  was  in  a  savings-bank  downtown,  and  it 
made  me  restless  to  think  that  it  was  drawing  only  three 
and  a  half  per  cent,  when  chances  to  make  big  money  were 
going  by  me  all  the  time  just  out  of  my  grasp.     I  k.-pt 
turning  over  and  over  in  my  mind  how  I  might  use  that 
thousand  and  make  it  breed  money.     There  were  lively 
times  then  on  the  Board  of  Trade.     Nothing  much  was 
done  in  the  stock  market  in  Chicago  in  those  early  da  vs. 
but  when  a  man  wanted  to  take  his  flyer  he  went  into 
>pork  or  grain.     I  used  to  hear  more  or  less  about  what 
>was  being  done  on  the  Board  of  Trade  from  Dick   I'HT- 
son,  who  had  been  promoted  from  scrubbing  blackboards 
to  a  little  clerkship  in  the  same  office,  which  operated 
on  the  Board. 

Dick  had  grown  to  be  a  sallow-faced,  black-mustached 
youth  who  had  his  sisters'  knack  of  smart  dressing,  and 
a  good  deal  of  mouth.  He  was  always  talking  of  the 
deals  the  big  fellows  were  carrying,  and  how  this  man 
made  fifty  thousand  dollars  going  short  on  lard  and  that 
man  had  his  all  taken  away  from  him  in  the  wheat  pit. 
He  was  full  of  tips  that  he  picked  up  in  his  office  — 
always  fingering  the  dice,  so  to  speak,  but  without  the 
cash  to  make  a  throw.  Dick  knew  that  I  had  some 
money  in  the  bank,  and  he  was  ever  at  me  to  put  it  up 


FIRST   BLOOD  69 

on  some  deal  on  margin.  Slocum  used  to  chaff  him 
about  his  tips,  and  I  didn't  take  his  talk  very  seriously. 
It  was  along  in  the  early  summer  of  my  third  year  at 
Dround's  when  Dick  began  to  talk  about  the  big  deal 
Strauss  was  running  in  pork.  Pork  was  going  to  twenty 
dollars  a  barrel,  sure.  According  to  Dick,  all  any  one 
had  to  do  to  make  a  fortune  was  to  get  on  the  train  now. 
This  time  his  talk  made  some  impression  on  me ;  for  the 
boys  were  saying  the  same  thing  over  in  the  office  at  the 
Yards.  I  thought  of  asking  Carmichael  about  it,  but  , 
I  suspected  John  might  lie  to  me  and  laugh  to  see  the 
"  kid "  robbed.  So  I  said  nothing,  but  every  time  I  • 
had  occasion  to  go  by  the  bank  where  I  kept  my  money 
it  seemed  to  call  out  to  me  to  do  something.  And  I  was'; 
hot  to  do  something !  I  had  about  made  up  my  mind 
after  turning  it  over  for  several  weeks,  to  make  my 
venture  in  Strauss's  corner.  Pork  was  then  selling  about 
seventeen  dollars  a  barrel,  and  there  was  talk  of  its 
going  as  high  as  twenty-five  dollars  by  the  October 
delivery. 

It  happened  that  the  very  day  I  made  up  my  mind  to 
go  down  to  the  city  and  draw  out  my  money  I  was  in 
the  manager's  office  talking  to  him  about  one  of  our 
small  customers.  Carmichael  was  opening  his  mail  and 
listening  to  me.  He  would  rip  up  an  envelope  and 
throw  it  down  on  his  desk,  then  let  the  letter  slide  out 
of  his  fat  hand,  and  pick  up  another.  I  saw  him  grab 
one  letter  in  a  hurry.  On  the  envelope,  which  was  plain, 
was  printed  JOHN  CARMICHAEL  in  large  letters. 
As  he  tore  open  the  enclosure  I  could  see  that  it  was  a 


70        THE   MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN   CITIZEN 

broker's  form,  and  printed  in  fat  capitals  beneath  the 
firm  name  was  the  word  SOLI),  and  after  it  a  written 
item  that  looked  like  pork.  As  Carmichael  shoved  this 
slip  of  paper  back  in  the  ^envelope  I  took  another  look 
"and  was  sure  it  was  pork;  \  I  went  out  of  the  office  think 
ing  to  myself:  "Carmichael  isn't  buying  any  pork  this 
trip :  he's  selling.  What  does  that  mean  ?  " 

As  I  have  said,  the  manager  had  charge  of  those 
private  agreements  with  which  the  trade  was  kept 
together.  In  this  way  he  came  in  contact  with  all  our 
rivals,  and  among  them  the  great  Strauss.  After  think 
ing  for  a  time,  it  was  clear  to  me  that  the  Irishman  had 
some  safe  inside  information  about  this  deal  which  Dick 
did  not  have,  nor  any  one  else  on  the  street.  That  after 
noon  when  I  could  get  off  I  went  down  to  the  bank  and 
drew  my  money.  At  first  I  thought  I  would  take  five 
hundred  dollars  and  have  something  left  in  the  bank  in 
case  I  was  wrong  on  my  guess.  l>ut  the  nearer  I  got  to 
the  bank  the  keener  I  was  to  make  all  I  could.  I  took 
the  thousand  and  hurried  over  to  the  office  on  La  Salle 
Street,  where  Dick  worked.  I  beckoned  him  out  of  the 
crowd  in  front  of  the  board  and  shoved  my  bunch  of 
^•\  money  into  his  hand. 

"I  want  you  to  sell  a  thousand  barrels  of  pork  for 
me,"  I  said. 

«Gee!"    Dick  whistled,  "you've  got  nerve.      What 
makes  you  want  to  go  short  of  pork?" 

"Never  you  mind,"  I  said;  "go  on  and  tell  your  boss 
to  sell,  and  there's  your  margin." 

"I'll  have  to  speak  to  the  old  man  himself  about  this," 


FIRST    BLOOD 


71 


Dick   replied  soberly.     "This  ain't  any  market  to  fool 
with." 

"  Well,  if  he  don't  want  the  business  there  are  others," 
I  observed  coolly. 

Dick  disappeared  into  the  back  office,  and  I  had  to 
wait  some  time.  Presently  a  fat  little  smooth-shaven 
man  shoved  his  head 
through  the  door  and 
looked  me  over  for  a 
moment  with  a  grin 
on  his  face.  I  sup 
pose  he  thought  me 
crazy,  but  he  didn't 
object  to  taking  my 
money  all  the  same. 

"All  right,"  he 
called  out  with  an 
other  grin,  "  we'll 
take  his  deal."  And 
Dick  came  out  from 
the  door  and  told  me 
in  a  big  voice  :  — 

"  All  right,  old 
man !  We  sell  a 
thousand  for  you." 

When  I  got  out  into 
the  street  I  wasn't  as 


sure  of   what   I  had 
done   as   I   had   been 


11  All  riijht,"  li<'  called  out,  '•  ice"1  II  take 
his  deal." 


when    I    went   into   the   broker's 
office  ;  but  I  had  too  much  nerve  to  admit  that  I  wished 


72        THE   MEMOIRS    OF   AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

I  had  my  money  back  in  my  fist.  And  I  kept  my  cour 
age  the  next  week,  while  pork  hung  just  about  where  it  was 
or  maybe  went  up  a  few  cents.  Then  it  began  to  slide  back 
just  a  little  —  $16.87|,  $16.85,  $10.80,  were  the  quota 
tions —  and  so  on  until  it  reached  $16.50,  where  it  hung 
for  a  week.  Then  it  took  up  its  retreat  again  until  it  had 
slid  to  an  even  $16.  Dick,  who  congratulated  me  on  my 
luck,  advised  me  to  sell  and  be  content  with  doubling  my 
money.  Strauss  was  just  playing  with  the  street,  he 
said.  This  was  only  the  end  of  August:  by  the  middle 
of  September  there  would  be  a  procession.  But  my  head 
was  set.  To  be  sure,  when,  after  the  first  of  September, 
pork  began  to  climb,  I  rather  wished  I  had  been  content 
with  doubling  my  money.  But  I  pinned  my  faith  on 
Carmichael.  I  didn't  believe  he  was  selling  yet.  For  a 
fortnight  at  the  close  of  September,  pork  hung  about 
$16.374,  with  little  variation  either  way.  Then  the  last 
three  days  of  the  month,  as  the  time  for  October  deliv 
eries  drew  near,  it  began  to  sag  and  dropped  to  $16.10. 
I  hung  on. 

It  was  well  for  me  that  I  did.  October  first  Strauss 
began  delivering,  and  he  poured  pork  into  the  market  by 
the  thousand  barrels.  Pork  dropped,  shot  down,  and 
touched  $13.  One  morning  I  called  at  the  broker's  office 
and  gave  the  order  to  buy.  I  had  cleared  four  thousand 
dollars  in  my  deal. 

It  was  first  blood  ! 

There  was  about  five  thousand  dollars  in  the  bank  that 
day  when  I  went  back  to  the  Yards,  and  I  was  as  proud 
as  a  millionnaire.  Somehow,  I  seemed  to  forget  how  I 


FIRST   BLOOD  73 

had  learned  the  right  tip,  and  thought  of  myself  as  a 
terribly  smart  young  man.  Perhaps  I  looked  what  I 
was  thinking,  for  when  the  manager  stepped  out  of  his 
office  a  little  later  and  eyed  me  there  was  a  queer  kind  of 
smile  on  his  lips. 

"  What's  happened,  kid  ?  "  he  asked,  quizzing  me. 
"Been  selling  any  more  pork  this  morning?" 

Then  I  suspected  that  somehow  he  had  learned  about 
my  little  venture  in  the  market.  I  was  doubtful  just 
how  he  might  take  it. 

"  No,"  I  said.     "  It's  the  time  to  buy  now,  isn't  it  ?  " 
"  Covering  ?  "  he  chuckled.     "  Well,  that's  good.    Say, 
some  one  telephoned  out  from  Cooper's  office  for  you  this 
morning  — about  a  little  deal  in  pork.     I  answered  the 
'phone." 

So  that  was  the  way  he  had  learned !  That  fool  Dick 
had  got  nervous,  and  been  telephoning  to  me. 

"  I  hope  you  made  it  all  right,"  Carmichael  added. 
"You  bet,"  I  answered   cheerily.     And  that  was   all 
that  was  ever  said  about  the  matter. 


CHAPTER   VII 

THE    BOMB 

1  become,  a  packer  on  my  own  account—  What  there  is  in  sau- 
saye—  The  Duchess —  The  Fiersoii.S  again— At  the  Haymarket 
-  The  path  of  the  bomb  — Another  kind  of  evil 

NOT  long  after  my  little  deal  in  pork  Carmichael  pro 
moted  me.  Instead  of  running  urqund  the  city  to  look 
after  the  markets,  1  was  sent  out/ on  the  road  ~to\  the 
towns  that  were  building  up  ;l]]  along  the  rai'lTnad  fines 
throughout  the  neighboring  states.  My  business  was  to 
secure  as  many  of  these  new  markets  as  I  could,  and, 
wherever  it  was  possible,  to  dispossess  any  rival  that  had 
got  hold  before.  It  gave  me  a  splendid  chance  to  know 
a  great  section  of  our  country  which  was  teeming  with 
life. 

That  five  thousand  dollars  in  the  bank  burned  worse 
than  the  first  thousand.  I  took  no  more  chances  on  pork, 
however,  but  I  managed  to  turn  a  dollar  here  and  there, 
and  after  a  time  something  rather  big  came  my  way. 
There  were  a  couple  of  German  Jews,  the  brothers 
Schimemann,  who  were  trying  to  run  a  packing  business 
at  Aurora.  They  had  started  as  small  butchers,  and  had 
done  well;  but  they  wanted  to  get  into  the  packing 
business,  and  they  were  having  a  hard  time  to  compete 
with  the  big  fellows  in  Chicago.  Their  little  plant  was 

74 


THE   BOMB 


75 


covered  with  a  mortgage,  and  Dround  and  Strauss  had 
taken  away  most  of  their  trade.  The  Schunemann 
brothers  were  such  small  fish  that  they  could  make  no 
agreements  with  the  large  companies,  and  they  weren't 
important  enough  to  be  bought  out. 

That  was  what  I  told  one  of   the  brothers  when   he  j 
asked  me  to  say  a  good  word  for  him  with  Carmichael./ 
His  concern  was  pretty  near  bankruptcy  then,  and  it  was 
plainly  out  of  the  question  for  them  to  go  on  as  they  had 
been  without  capital.     If  they  had  tried  to  build  up  a 
small  business  in  delicatessen  and  such  things,  they  might 
have  succeeded  better.     I  had  never  given  up  the  idea  of 
the  money  that  might  be  made  in  putting  up  sausages 
and  preparing  kosher  meat  for  the  city  market.     Here, 
I  thought,  was  just  the  opportunity.     If  I  could  buy  out 
the  Schunemann  brothers  or  get  a  controlling   interest, 
I  might  try  my  experiment.     The  scheme  grew  in  my 
mind,  and  I  went  to  Aurora  several   times   to   see   the 
brothers.     After  a  while  I  made  the  man  an  offer,  and 
then  we  talked  terms  for  several  months.     Slocum  advised 
me  and  drew  up  the  agreement.     I  was  ready  to  put  my 
stake  into  the  venture,  all  that  I  had  in  the  world.     It 
hurt  them  to  sell  me  the  control  of    their  business  for 
seven  thousand  dollars,  which  was  all  that  I  could  scrape 
together  — and  part  of  that  was  Slocum's  savings,  which 

he  lent  me. 

At  last  we  made  the  arrangement,  and  the  Schunemann 
brothers  put  up  the  "Duchess"  brand  of  sausage  alter 
my  plan,  and  we  began  to  handle  kosher  meat  in  a  small 
way,  I  managed  the  sausage  trade  with  Dround's  busi- 


76        THE    MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN   CITIZIA 

ness,  working  the  two  together  very  well ;  for  the  re- 
tailers  who  dealt  with  Dromes  took  to  my  idea  and 
pushed  our  Duchess  brand,  which  was  packed  in  nj,.<> 
little  boxes.  It  was  a  new  idea  in  those  days,  and  noth 
ing  takes  like  something  that  hasn't  been  tried  before. 
We  began  to  make  money  — not  a  fortune  all  at  once; 
but  the  business  promised  to  grow.  Thus  I  became  a 
packer,  after  a  fashion  ! 

In  the  years  that  immediately  preceded  the  troublous 
times  of  1886,  I  was  a  very  busy  man  and  often  out  of 
•  the  city,  too  much  engrossed  with  the  growing  business 
Jon  my  hands  to  consider  very  seriously  the  disturbances 
lof  that  period.     The  fight  with  labor,  which  seems  to  be 
a  necessary  feature  of  our  progress,  had  come  to  a  kind 
of  crisis  in  that  year.     But  the  events  in  Chicago  during 
that  crisis  are  still  so  near  to  many  of  us  that  even  with 
the  rapid  forgetfulness  of  our  days  they  have  not  quite 
escaped  the  memory  of  thoughtful  men. 

I  remember  that  now  and  then,  around  Ma  Pierson's 
table,  the  talk  turned  on  the  strike  over  at  the  harvest 
ing  works.  We  were  all  on  the  same  side,  I  guess  — the 
\  side  of  capital ;  there  was  enough  for  all  of  the  good  things 
of  life,  we  thought,  if  men  would  only  stop  their  kicking 
and  keep  at  work.  Slocum,  for  all  that  he  was  a  lawyer* 
was  the  only  easy  one  on  the  strikers:  so  long  as  they 
respected  the  laws  he  was  with  them  in  their  struggle  to 
get  all  they  could  from  their  employers. 

"Mr.  Renshaw  says  they're  too  well  off  now,"  Lou 
observed. 


THE   BOMB  77 

"  Who  is  Mr.  Renshaw  ?  "  I  asked,  surprised  that  Lou 
should  take  an  interest  in  such  matters. 

Slocum  looked  across  the  table  at  me,  and  Grace 
quickly  began  on  something  else.  .  .  . 

Well,  on  the  night  of  the  fourth  of  May  I  was  on  my 
way  to  the  Piersons'  from  the  Union  Station.  It  was 
very  late,  for  I  had  just  returned  from  Aurora,  where  I 
had  been  during  the  afternoon  on  my  own  business.  As 
I  got  on  the  street  car  the  men  on  the  platform  were 
talking  excitedly  about  the  shooting  over  at  the  harvester 
works.  When  I  reached  home,  I  was  surprised  to  find 
no  one  on  the  steps,  the  door  wide  open,  and  a  kind  of 
emptiness  in  the  whole  place. 

"  What's  up  ?  "  I  asked  old  Pierson. 

"That  Cox  girl's  got  her  cheek  blowed  open  with  a 
bomb  or  suthin'.  Times  like  this  folks  can't  go  galli- 
vantin'  about  the  streets,"  the  old  man  snarled. 

Slocum  came  in  at  the  sound  of  my  voice  and  told  me 
what  had  happened.  His  face  was  white,  and  his  long 
arms  still  twitched  with  the  horror  of  what  he  had  seen 
that  night.  It  seems  that  Dick  Pierson  had  come  home 
to  supper  full  of  the  news  about  the  row  between  the  police 
and  the  strikers.  His  talk  had  worked  up  the  girls,— 
that  is,  Hillary  Cox  ami  Grace,  —  for  Lou  hadn't  come 
home,  — until  all  of  them  had  started  off  after  supper  in 
the  direction  of  the  harvester  works,  where  the  trouble 
was  reported  to  be. 

Then  they  had  strolled  down  to  the  Haymarket,  where, 
instead  of  the  great  crowd  they  had  expected  to  find, 
there  were  only  some  hundreds  of  men  and  women  listen- 


His  long  arms  twitched  with  horror, 
78 


THE   BOMB  79 

ing  quietly  to  several  workingmen  who  were  speechifying 
from  a  cart.  It  didn't  look  very  lively,  and  as  a  thunder 
storm  was  coining  up  in  the  north  Sloco  was  for  going 
home.  But  Ed,  who,  like  a  country  galoot,  was  curious 
to  hear  what  the  orator  in  the  cart  had  to  say,  pressed 
up  close  to  the  truck,  in  the  front  of  the  crowd,  with 
Hillary  Cox  on  his  arm.  Suddenly,  so  Slocum  said, 
there  was  a  shout  from  somewhere  behind  them :  — 

"  The  police !     Look  out  for  the  police  !  " 

In  the  rush  that  followed,  Slocum  and  Grace  were 
jammed  back  by  the  press  and  separated  from  the  others. 
He  remembered  only  a  little  of  what  happened  those  next 
moments.  And  what  he  did  remember  didn't  tally  with 
the  stories  that  were  told  later  at  the  trial.  In  the  dark 
ness  of  the  lowering  storm,  above  the  heads  of  the  close- 
packed,  swaying  mass  in  the  square,  there  sounded  a  dull 
whir.  Then  came  a  terrific  explosion.  The  next  thing 
Slocum  knew  he  was  crawling  on  his  hands  and  knees, 
groping  in  the  darkness  for  Grace,  while  all  around  them 
crackled  the  pistol  shots  of  the  police.  Then  he  heard 
Ed's  voice  shrieking:  — 

"  The  bloody  brutes  have  shot  her !  "  .  .  . 

"  And  Hillary  ?  "  I  asked.     "  Is  it  bad  ?  " 

"  A  piece  of  iron  ploughed  across  her  cheek." 

"  Scar  ?  " 

Slocum  nodded.  (The  truth  is  that  if  it  hadn't  been 
for  the  ignorant  doctor  who  got  hold  of  the  girl  first 
her  looks  might  have  been  saved.  But  he  took  eleven 
stitches,  and  there  was  left  a  long,  ugly,  furrowed  scar 
across  her  pretty  face !) 


80        THE    MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

We  went  up  to  Slocum's  room,  and  sat  there  far  into 
the  night,  discussing  what  had  happened. 

"  Oh,  I  suppose  you  law  pills  will  mouse  around  in  it 
considerable,"  I  said.  "  The  way  to  do  is  to  string  'em  up 
to  the  nearest  lamp-post,  as  they  do  out  West." 

As  I  was  saying  that,  a  cab  drove  up  hurriedly  in  the 
quiet  street  and  stopped  at  our  door.  Slocuni  and  I  put 
our  heads  out  of  his  window,  curious  to  know  what  was 
happening  now  at  two  o'clock  in  the  morning.  We  saw 
a  man  get  out,  then  turn  and  lift  a  woman  from  the  cab 
to  the  street.  The  woman  staggered  as  she  started  to 
walk  across  the  sidewalk. 

"  It's  Lou  Pierson ! "  Slocum  exclaimed.  He  drew  in 
his  head  suddenly  and  bolted  from  the  room.  I  waited 
long  enough  to  see  the  man  who  was  with  Lou  pull  the 
doorbell,  and  then  leave  the  poor  girl  half-fallen  on  the 
steps,  while  he  went  back  to  the  cab  and  spoke  to  the 
driver.  Then  I  followed  Slocum  downstairs,  two  steps 
at  a  time.  Slocum  had  wrenched  open  the  house  door 
and  leaped  down  the  long  flight  of  steps,  not  pausing  at 
the  girl,  who  was  making  feeble  attempts  to  rise  and 
calling  :  "  Fred  !  Fred  !  "  But  the  man,  having  given 
his  directions  to  the  driver,  paid  no  attention  and  got 
into  the  cab. 

I  helped  Lou  to  her  feet;  she  was  still  calling  in  a 
drowsy  voice  :  "  Fred  !  Fred  !  "  I  could  see  Slocum  with 
his  hand  on  the  door  of  the  cab.  He  spoke  to  the  man 
inside,  but  I  could  not  hear  what  he  said.  Suddenly  his 
hand  shot  out;  there  was  a  tussle,  half  in  and  half 
out  of  the  cab;  the  driver  whipped  up  his  horses,  and 


THE    BOMB  81 

Slocum  was  thrown  to  his  knees.  He  picked  him 
self  up  holding  in  his  fist  something  that  looked  like  a 
necktie. 

As  Slocum  helped  me  carry  the  girl  up  the  steps,  he 
said :  — 

"  That's  who  Kenshaw  is.  A  bit  of  a  bomb  would  be 
about  the  right  thing  for  him !  " 

Generalizations,  I  have  learned,  are  silly  things  to  play 
with.  But  there  are  some  experiences  in  a  man's  life 
that  tempt  him  to  make  them.  It  was  only  a  mere  acci 
dent  that  the  man  who  was  Lou  Pierson's  companion  in 
the  cab  that  night  had  taken  a  prominent  part  against 
the  striking  workmen.  But  when,  later,  I  was  called 
upon  to  sit  in  judgment  on  some  hot-headed  fools  because 
they,  in  their  struggle  to  get  an  eight-hour  day,  fomented 
strife,  my  thoughts  would  go  back  sourly  to  this  example 
of  the  men  I  was  expected  to  side  with. 


CHAPTER   VIII 

THE    TRIAL    OF    THE    ANARCHISTS 

TJie  terror  of  good  citizens  —  Henry  Iverson  Dround  —  Right 
eous  indignation  —  Leaders  of  industry  (jet  together  "  to  protect 
society'1''  —  A  disagreeable  duty — Selecting  the  jury —  The  man 
from  Steele's —  What  is  evidence  ? —  What  is  justice  ? — In 
behalf  of  society  —  Life  is  for  the  strong — All  there  is  in  it! 
—  I  take  my  side 

THE  morning  after  the  fourth  of  May  the  city  was 
sizzling  with  excitement.  From  what  the  papers  said 
you  might  think  there  was  an  anarchist  or  two  skulking 
in  every  alley  in  Chicago  with  a  basket  of  bombs  under 
his  arm.  The  men  on  the  street  seemed  to  rub  their 
eyes  and  stare  up  at  the  buildings  in  surprise  to  find 
them  standing.  There  was  every  kind  of  rumor  flying 
about :  some  had  it  that  the  police  had  unearthed  a  gen 
eral  conspiracy  to  dynamite  the  city  ;  others  that  the 
bomb  throwers  had  been  found  and  were  locked  up.  It 
was  all  a  parcel  of  lies,  of  course,  but  the  people  were 
crazy  to  be  lied  to,  and  the  police,  having  nothing  better, 
fed  them  lies.  At  the  Yards,  men  were  standing 
about  in  little  groups  discussing  the  rumors;  they  seemed 
really  afraid  to  go  into  the  buildings. 

In  front  of  our  office  a  brougham  was  drawn  up  —  an 
unusual  sight  at  any  time,  and  especially  at  this  hour. 

82 


THE    TRIAL   OF    THE    ANARCHISTS  83 

It  was  standing  close  to  the  door,  and  as  I  picked  my 
way  through  the  crowd  I  looked  in  at  the  open  window. 
My  eyes  met  the  eyes  of  a  woman,  who  was  leaning 
against  the  cushioned  back  of  the  carriage.  She  was 
dressed  in  a  white,  ruffled  gown  that  appeared  strange 
there  in  the  yards,  and  her  eyes  were  half  closed,  as  if 
she  were  napping  or  thinking  thoughts  far  removed  from 
the  agitated  city.  But  when  I  came  closer  she  gave  me 
the  sharpest  look  I  ever  saw  in  a  woman's  eyes.  It  was 
a  queer  face,. dark  and  pale. aiidJiieless  —  except  for  that 
power  of  the  eyes  to  look  into  you.  I  stopped,  and  my 
lips  opened  involuntarily  to  speak.  As  I  went  on  up 
stairs,  I  wondered  who  she  could  be. 

My  desk  was  just  outside  the  manager's  private  office, 
and,  the  door  happening  to  be  ajar,  I  could  see  Mr. 
Dround  within,  striding  up  and  down  in  great  excite 
ment.  Carmichael  was  trying  to  quiet  him  down.  I 
could  hear  the  chief's  high,  thin  voice  denouncing  the 
anarchists :  — 

"  It  is  a  dastardly  crime  against  God  and  man !  It 
threatens  the  very  foundations  of  our  free  country - 

"  Yes,  that's  all  right,"  big  John  was  growling  in  his 
heavy  tone.  "But  we  don't  want  to  make  too  much  fuss  ; 
it  won't  do  no  good  to  poke  around  in  a  nest  of  rattlers." 

"Let  them  do  their  worst!  Let  them,  blow  up  this 
building  !  Let  then!  dynamite  my  house !  I  should  call 
myself  a  craven,  a  poltroon,  if  I  wavered  for  one  moment 
in  my  duty  as  a  citizen." 

Carmichael  sighed  and  bit  off  the  end  of  a  fat  cigar 
that  he  had  been  rolling  to  and  fro  in  his  mouth.  He 


84        THE    MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 


„.,: 


seemed  to  give  his  boss  up,  as  you  might  a  talkative 
schoolboy. 

Henry  Iverson  Dround  was  a  tall,  dignified  gentleman, 
vith  thick  gray  hair,  close-cut  gray  whiskers,  and  a  griz 
zled  mustache.  He  always  dressed  much  better  than 
most  business  men  of  my  acquaintance,  with  a  sober 
good  taste.  The  chief  thing  about  him  was  his  manners, 
rhich,  for  a  packer,  were  polished.  I  knew  that  he  had 

jen  to  college:  there  was  a  tradition  in  the  office  that 
he  had  gone  into  the  business  against  his  will  to  please 
his  father,  who  had  begun  life  as  a  butcher  in  the  good 
old  way  and  couldn't  understand  his  son's  prejudices. 
Perhaps  that  explains  why  all  the  men  in  the  house 
thought  him  haughty,  and  the  other  big  packers  were 
/•  inclined  to  make  fun  of  him.  However  that  might  be, 
Mr.  Dround  had  a  high  reputation  in  the  city  at  large  for 
I  honorable  dealing  and  public  spirit.  There  was  little 
set  afoot  for  the  public  good  that  Henry  I.  Dround  did 
\not  have  a  hand  in. 

I  had  met  the  chief  once  or  twice,  big  John  having 
called  his  attention  to  me,  but  he  never  seemed  to  re 
member  my  existence.  To-day  Mr.  Dround  blew  out  of 
the  manager's  office  pretty  soon  and  brushed  against  my 
desk.  Suddenly  he  stopped  and  addressed  me  in  his 
thin,  high  voice  :  — 

"  What  do  you  think,  Mr.  Harrington,  of  this  infernal 
business  ?  " 

My  answer  was  ready,  pat,  and  sufficiently  hot  to 
please  the  boss.  He  turned  to  Carmichael,  who  had 
followed  him. 


THE   TRIAL   OF   THE    ANARCHISTS  85 

"  That  is  what  young  America  is  thinking !  " 

Carmichael  put  his  tongue  into  his  cheek  instead  of 
spitting  out  an  oath ;  but  after  Mr.  Dround  had  gone, 
he  growled  at  me :  — 

"  That's  all  right  for  young  America,  but  I  am  no  damn 
fool,  either!  My  father  saw  the  riots  back  home  in  Dub 
lin.  It's  no  good  sitting  too  close  on  the  top  of  a  chimney 
—  maybe  you'll  set  the  house  on  fire.  The  police  ?  The 
police  are  half  thieves  and  all  blackguards !  They  got 
this  up  for  a  benefit  party,  most  likely.  Why,  didn't  they 
kill  more'n  twice  as  many  men  over  at  McCormick's  only 
the  other  day,  just  because  the  boys  were  making  a  bit 
of  a  disturbance  ?  And  nobody  said  anything  about  it ! 
What  are  they  kicking  for,  -anyway  ?  " 

Mr.  Dround's  view,  however,  was  the  one  generally^ 
held.  That  very  evening  there  was  a  meeting  of  the 
prominent  men  of  the  city  to  take  counsel  together  how 
anarchy  might  be  suppressed  with  a  strong  hand.  We 
little  people  heard  only  rumors  of  what  took  place  in 
that  gathering,  but  it  leaked  out  that  there  had  been  two 
minds  among  those  wealthy  and  powerful  men  —  the 
timid  and  the  bold.  The  timid  were  overridden  by  the 
bolder-hearted.  Good  citizens,  like  Strauss  and  Vitzer, 
so  Carmichael  told  me  with  a  sneer,  talked  strong  about 
encouraging  the  district  attorney  to  do  his  duty,  and 
raised  a  fund  to  pay  for  having  justice  done. 

"  It  means  that  some  of  those  rats  the  police  have  been 
ferreting  out  of  the  West  Side  saloons  will  hang  to  make 
them  feel  right.  The  swells  are  bringing  pressure  to 
bear,  and  some  one  must  be  punished.  It's  grand ! " 


86        THE    MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

He  chuckled  bitterly  at  his  own  wit.  But  the  swells 
meant  business,  and  when  Henry  I.  Dround  was  drawn 
for  the  grand  jury,  to  indict  those  anarchists  that  the 
police  had  already  netted,  big  John  swore :  — 

"  He  needn't  have  done  that !  There  are  plenty  to  do 
the  fool  things.  It's  his  sense  of  duty,  I  s'pose,  damn 
him  !  It's  some  of  his  duty  to  come  over  here  and  help 
us  make  enough  money  to  keep  his  old  business  afloat ! ' 

The  Irishman  thought  only  of  the  business,  but  Henry 
I.  Dround  was  not  the  man  to  let  any  personal  interest 
stand  in  the  way  of  what  he  considered  his  duty  to 
society.  Perhaps  he  was  a  little  too  proud  of  his  sacri 
fices  and  his  civic  virtues.  Some  years  later  he  told  me 
all  about  that  grand  jury.  All  I  need  say  here  is  that 
this  famous  trial  of  the  anarchists  was  engineered  from 
the  beginning  by  prominent  men  to  go  straight. 

The  hatred  and  the  rage  of  all  kinds  of  men  during 
those  months  while  the  anarchists  were  on  our  hands, 
before  they  were  finally  hanged  or  sent  to  prison,  is  hard 
to  understand  now  at  this  distance  from  the  event.  That 
'bomb  in  its  murderous  course  had  stirred  our  people  to 
the  depths  of  terror  and  hate :  even  easy-going  hustlers 
like  myself  seemed  to  look  at  that  time  in  the  face  of  an 
awful  fate.  The  pity  of  it  all  was  —  I  say  it  now  openly 
and  advisedly  —  that  our  one  motive  was  hate.  Stamp 
this  thing  out !  that  was  the  one  cry.  Few  stopped  to 
think  of  justice,  and  no  one  of  mercy  We  were  afraid, 
and  we  hated. 

Finally  it  came  time  for  the  trial ;  the  venire  for  the 
jury  was  issued.  One  night,  to  my  consternation,  I  found 


THE    TRIAL    OF    THE    ANARCHISTS  87 

a  summons  at  the  house.  When  I  showed  it  to  a  fellow- 
clerk  at  the  office  the  next  morning,  he  whistled :  — 

"  I  thought  I  saw  the  bailiff  in  here  yesterday,  looking 
around  for  likely  men.  They  are  after  a  safe  jury  this 
time,  sure ! " 

I  asked  Carmichael  to  use  his  influence  to  get  me 
excused,  as  I  knew  he  usually  did  for  the  boys  when 
they  were  summoned  for  jury  duty.  But  all  he  said 
was  :  — 

"  You're  a  nervy  youngster.  You'd  better  do  the  thing, 
if  you  are  accepted." 

"It  means  weeks,  maybe  months,  off,"  I  objected. 

"We'll  make  that  all  right:  you  won't  lose  nothing 
by  it.  But  you  mustn't  mind  finding  a  stick  of  dyna 
mite  under  your  bed  when  you  go  home  after  the  trial," 
he  grinned. 

"I  guess  there's  no  trouble  with  my  nerve,"  I  said 
stiffly,  thinking  he  was  chaffing  me.  "  But  I  don't  want 
the  job,  all  the  same." 

"Well,  you'll  have  to  see  the  old  man  this  time. 
Maybe  he  can  get  you  off." 

So  I  went  into  Mr.  Dround's  private  office  and  made 
my  request.  The  chief  asked  me  to  take  a  chair  and 
handed  me  a  cigar.  Then  he  began  to  talk  about  the 
privileges  and  duties  of  citizenship.  From  another  man 
it  might  have  "Been  just 'slobber,  but  Henry  I.  Dround 
meant  it,  every  word. 

"  Why  don't  you  serve  ?  "  I  asked  him  pretty  bluntly. 

He  flushed. 

"  I  haven't  been  drawn.     Besides,  it  has  been  thought 


THE    MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITI/KN 


wiser  not  to  give  the  jury  too  capitalistic  a  character. 
This  is  a  young  man's   duty.     And  I   understand  from 
Mr.  Carmichael  that  you  are  one  of  the  most  energetic 
'     • '  and  right-minded  of  our  young 

men,  Mr.  Harrington." 

He  stood  facing  the  window 
and  talked  along  for  some  time 
in  a  general  way.  His  talk  was 
rather  simple  and  condescend 
ing,  but  kind.  He  spoke  of  the 
future  before  me,  of  my  having 
the  right  influence  in  the  com 
munity.  When  I  left  him  I 
knew  perfectly  well  that  the 
house  expected  me  to  serve  on 
that  jury  if  I  was  chosen,  and 
that  Mr.  Dround  would  take 
personally  the  warmest  interest 
in  a  young  man  who  had  the 
courage  to  do  his  duty  "  in 
Henry  I.  Dround  meant  behalf  of  society,"  as  he  kept 
ft,  every  word.  ^.^ 

Still  I  hoped  to  escape.  I  was  tolerably  far  down 
the  list.  So  day  after  day  I  listened  to  the  wrangle 
among  the  lawyers  over  the  selection  of  the  jurors.  It 
was  clear  enough  from  the  start  that  the  State  wanted 
only  one  kind  of  man  on  that  jury  —  an  intelligent,  well- 
to-do  clerk  or  small  manufacturer.  No  laboring  man 
need  apply  :  his  class  was  suspect.  As  a  clerk  in  Steele's 
store  said  to  me  while  we  waited  our  turn :  — 


From,  another  man  it  miyht 
have  been  just  slobber,  but 


THE    TRIAL   OF   THE    ANARCHISTS  89 

"  That  bailiff  came  into  our  place  and  walked  down 
past  our  department  with  the  manager.  I  heard  him 
say  to  Mr.  Bent:  'I'm  running  this  case.  Let  me  tell 
you  there  won't  be  no  hung  jury.' " 

"  Do  you  want  to  serve  ?  "  I  asked  the  man  from 
Steele's. 

"  Well,  I  do  and  I  don't."  Then  he  leaned  over  and 
whispered  into  my  ear:  "  It  looks  to  me  that  there  might 
be  a  better  place  for  me  at  Steele's  if  everything  goes  off 
to  suit  and  I  am  a  part  of  it ! "  He  nudged  me  and 
pulled  a  straight  face.  "I  guess  they  ought  to  be 
hanged,  all  right,"  he  added,  as  if  to  square  himself 
with  what  he  was  ready  to  do. 

After  the  defence  had  used  up  its  challenges,  which 
naturally  was  pretty  soon,  the  real  business  of  getting 
the  jury  began.  Much  the  same  thing  happened  in 
every  case.  First  the  man  said  he  was  prejudiced  so 
that  he  couldn't  render  a  fair  verdict  on  the  evidence. 
Then  his  Honor  took  him  in  hand  and  argued  with  him 
to  convince  him  that  his  scruples  were  needless.  His 
Honor  drove  him  up  and  down  hill  until  the  man  was 
forced  to  admit  that  he  had  some  sense  of  fairness 
and  could  be  square  and  honest  if  he  tried  hard. 
And  then  he  was  counted  in.  In  every  case  it  went 
pretty  much  as  it  did  in  the  case  of  the  man  from 
Steele's. 

"I  feel,"  so  the  man  from  Steele's  said,  "like  any 
other  good  citizen  does.  I  feel  that  some  of  these  men 
are  guilty ;  we  don't  know  which  ones,  of  course.  We 
have  formed  this  opinion  by  general  report  from  the 


90        THE    MEMOIRS    OF    AN   AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

( 

newspapers.  Now,  with  that  feeling  it  would  take  some 
very  positive  evidence  to  make  me  think  that  these  men 
were  not  guilty,  if  I  should  acquit  them.  .  .  .  But  I 
should  act  entirely  upon  the  testimony." 

"But,"  said  the  defence,  "you  say  that  it  would 
take  positive  evidence  of  their  innocence  before  you 
could  consent  to  return  them  not  guilty  ? " 

"  Yes,  I  should  want  some  strong  evidence." 

"  Well,  if  that  strong  evidence  of  their  innocence  was 
not  introduced,  then  you  want  to  convict  them  ?  " 

"  Certainly ! " 

Then  the  judge  took  him  in  hand,  and  after  a  time  his 
Honor  got  him  to  say:  — 

"  I  believe  I  could  try  the  case  on  the  evidence  alone, 
fairly." 

And  so  they  took  him,  and  they  took  me  in.  the  same 
way,  when  it  came  my  turn. 

\  This  is  scarcely  the  place  to  tell  the  story  of  that 
famous  trial.  It  has  kept  me  too  long  as  it  is.  The 
trial  of  the  anarchists  was  an  odd  accident  in  my  life, 
However,  which,  coming,  as  it  did,  when  I  had  my  foot 
placed  on  the  ladder  of  fortune,  had  something  to  do  with 
ing  me  what  I  am  to-day.  Up  to  this  time  I  had  never 
/  reflected  much  upon  the  deeper  things  of  life.  The 
world  seemed  good  to  me  —  a  stout,  hearty  place  to 
Y  /fight  in.  I  had  made  money  in  the  scheme  of  things  as 
vthey  are,  and  I  found  it  good.  I  wanted  to  make  some 
more  money,  and  I  had  little  patience  with  the  kickers 
who  tried  to  upset  the  machine.  But  I  had  not  reasoned 


THE    TRIAL    OP    THE    ANARCHISTS  91 

it  out.     There  in  the  court  room,  and  later  shut  up  in  the 
jury  quarters,  day  after  day,  cut  off  from  my  usual  habits. 
I  thought  over  some  of  the  real  questions  of  our  life,  and ,  ^ 
made  for  myself  a /kind  of  philosophy. 

To-day,  after  the  lapse  of  eighteen  years,  I  can  see  it 
all  as  I  saw  it  then :  the  small,  dirty  court  room ;  the 
cold,  precise  face  of  the  judge ;  the  faces  of  the  eight 
men  whom  the  police  had  ferreted  out  of  their  holes  for 
us  to  try.  There  wasn't  much  dignity  in  the  perform 
ance  :  some  pretty,  fashionably  dressed  girls  sat  up  be 
hind  the  judge,  almost  touching  elbows  with  his  Honor. 
They  came  there  as  though  to  the  play,  whispering 
and  eating  candy.  There  was  the  wrangling  among  the 
lawyers,  snarling  back  and  forth  to  show  their  earnest 
ness.  But  my  eyes  came  back  oftenest  to  the  faces  of 
those  eight  men,  for  whose  lives  the  game  was  being 
played.  Two  were  stupid;  three  were  shifty;  but  the 
other  three  had  an  honest  glow,  a  kind  of  wild  enthnsi-/ 
asm,  that  came  with  their  foreign  blood,  maybe.  The}! 
were  dreamers  of  wild  dreams,  but  no  thugs ! 

From  the  start  it   seemed  plain  that  the  State  could! 
not  show  who  threw  that  fatal  bomb,  nor  who  made  it,' 
nor   anything   about   it:    the    best   the    State    could   do 
would  be  to  prove  conspiracy.     The  only  connection  the 
lawyers  could  establish  between  those  eight  men  and  the 
mischief   of   that   night  was  a  lot   of   loose    talk.     His  ; 
Honor  made  the  law  —  afterward  he  boasted  of  it — as 
he  went  along.     He  showed  us  what  sedition  was,  and  , 
that  was  all  we  needed  to  know.     Then  we  could  admin 
ister  the  lesson.     Now  that  eighteen  years  have  passed,  > 


92        THK    MEMOIRS    OF   AN   AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

that  looks  to  me  like  mighty   dangerous   law.     Then  I 
was  quick  enough  to  accept  it. 

When  we  filed  into  the  court  room  the  last  morning  to 
listen  to  the  judge's  charge,  the  first  face  I  saw  was  that 
of  Hillary  Cox.  A  big  red  scar,  branching  like  a 
spider's  web,  disfigured  her  right  cheek.  It  drew  my  eyes 
right  to  her  at  once.  All  her  color  and  the  plump,  pretty 
look  of  health  had  gone  for  good.  She  looked  old  and 
sour  and  excited.  And  I  wished  she  hadn't  come  there  : 
it  seemed  as  though  she  was  waiting  for  her  revenge  for 
the  loss  of  her  youth  and  good  looks.  She  was  counting 
on  me  to  give  it  to  her !  Ed  sat  beside  her,  holding  her 
hand  in  a  protecting  way.  He  was  an  honest,  right-feel 
ing  sort  of  fellow,  and  I  guessed  that  her  loss  of  good 
looks  would  make  no  difference  in  his  marrying  her. 

Near  the  district  attorney  sat  Mr.  Dround.  He  listened 
to  the  judge's  charge  very  closely,  nodding  his  head  as 
his  Honor  made  his  points  and  rammed  conviction  into 


us. 


"In  behalf  of  society"  — his  phrase  ran  in  my  head 
all  through  the  trial.  That  was  the  point  of  it  all  — a 
struggle  between  sensible  folks  who  went  about  their 
business  and  tried  to  get  all  there  was  in  it  — like  myself 
-  and  some  scum  from  Europe,  who  didn't  like  the  way 
things  are  handed  out  in  this  world.  We  must  hang 
these  rebels  for  an  example  to  all  men.  To  be  sure,  the 

police  had  killed  a  score  or  two  of  their  kind "  rioters," 

they  were  called :  now  we  would  hang  these  eight  in  a 
proper,  legal,  and  ordinary  way.  And  then  back  to  busi 
ness!  I  suppose  that  the  world  seemed  to  me  so  good  a 


THE    TRIAL    OF   THE   ANARCHISTS  93 

place  to  hustle  in  that  I  couldn't  rightly  appreciate  the 
complaint  of  these  rebels  against  society.  And  at  any 
rate  I  was  convinced  that  we  sensible  folks  who  had  the 
upper  hand  could  not  tolerate  any  bomb  foolishness. 
"In  behalf  of  society"  -yes,  before  we  had  left  our 
seats  in  the  court  room  my  mind  was  made  up :  guilty  or 
not,  these  men  must  suffer  for  their  foolish  opinions, 
which  were  dead  against  the  majority. 
Thus  I  performed  my  duty  to  society. 

When  our  verdict  was  ready,  and  we  came  in  to  be  dis 
charged,  I  saw  Hillary  Cox  again.     As  the  foreman  rose  | 
to  give  our  verdict,  her  scarred  face  flushed  with  excite 
ment,  and  an  ugly  scowl  crept  over  her  brow.     I  turned 
away.  •  Queer  thoughts  came  into  my  mind  —  for  the  bad 
air  and  the  weeks  of  close  confinement  had  made  me 
nervous,  I  suppose.  .   .   .     Society  !     I  seemed  to  see  old 
Strauss    with    his    puffy,    ashen    face,    and    his    broad 
hands  that  hooked  in  the   dollars,  dirty   or  clean,  and 
Vitzer,  who  kept  our  honorable   council   on  his  pay-roll 
for  convenience,  and  the  man  who  had  been  with  Loux, 
Pierson  that  night,  and  many  others.     Were  they  better   ; 
men  before  the  eye  of  God  than  these   eight  misguided  '< 
fools  whom   we  were   about  to    punish?      Who  did  the 
most  harm  to  society,  they  or  that  pale-faced  Fielden,  who 
might  have  been  a  saint  instead  of  an  anarchist  ?  .  .  . 

The  judge  was  still  making  remarks;  the  jury  were 
listening  restlessly ;  the  prisoners  at  the  bar  seemed  lit 
tle  interested  in  the  occasion.  I  kept  saying  to  myself : 
"  Society !  In  behalf  of  society  !  I  have  done  my  duty  in 

_\ 


94        THE   MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 


In 'half  of  society."     But  what  was  this  almighty  society, 
anyhow,  save  a  lot  of  fools  and  scamps  with  a  sprinkling 
/of  strong  souls,  who  were  fighting  for  life  —  all  of  them 
V  fighting  for  what  only  a  few  could  get  ?     My  eyes  rested 
\>n  Hostetter's  face  in  the  crowd.     His  jaw  was  hanging 
open,  and  he  was  staring  at  the  judge,  trying  to  under 
stand  it  all.     Poor  Ed !     He  wouldn't  have  much  show 
in  the  scramble  if  society  didn't  protect 
him.       Suddenly  a   meaning   to    it   all 
came   to  me  like  a  great  light.      The; 
strong  must  rule:    the  world  was  fork/ 
the  strong.     It  was  the  act  of  an  idiotf 
Jr^jP  to  deny  that  truth.     Yes,  life  was  for; 

If  the  strong,  all  there  was  in  it!     I  saw 

it  so  then,  and  I  have  lived  it  so  all 


/'//  hf.  (/lad  to          The  man  from   Steele's   nudged   my 

fjct  home    to-       elbow:  — 

niffht"  "My!  I  tell  you  I'll  be  glad  to  get 

home  to-night.  Won't  the  old  woman's  food  taste  slick 
to-night?  You  bet." 

"  The  jury  is  discharged." 

The  play  was  over.  The  spectators  were  moving  from 
the  crowded  room.  At  the  door  my  friends  were  waiting 
for  me.  Hillary  Cox  stretched  up  a  thin  hand. 

"  Thank  you,  Van,"  she  said. 

"  You  fellows  did  just  right,"  Hostetter  added. 

Slocum  said  nothing,  but  there  was  a  dubious  smile  on 
his  lips. 

"  We're  going  to  blow  you  off  for  a  dinner  at  the  Palmer 


THE   TRIAL    OF    THE    ANARCHISTS  95 

House,  the  best  you  ever  ate,"  Dick  Pierson  called  out 
loudly.  Then  he  added  for  the  benefit  of  the  onlookers, 
"  To  hell  with  the  anarchists  ! " 

"  Quit  that ! "  I  said  sharply,  some  of  those  queer 
doubts  about  the  justice  of  the  act  I  had  been  concerned 
in  returning  to  me.  "  It's  over  now,  and  let's  drop  it." 

It  was  good  to  be  out  ou  the  streets  once  more,  knock 
ing  elbows  with  folks,  and  my  heart  soon  began  to  feel 
right.  In  the  lobby  of  the  hotel  men  I  didn't  know, 
who  recognized  me  as  one  of  the  famous  jury,  came  up 
to  me  and  shook  hands  and  said  pleasant  things.  Before 
the  dinner  was  far  along  I  was  quite  myself  again,  and 
when  Slocum  set  up  the  champagne  for  the  party,  I  had 
begun  to  feel  rather  proud  of  the  part  I  had  taken  in 
public  affairs.  After  all,  it  was  a  fine  thing  to  live  and 
hustle  with  your  neighbors  for  the  dollars.  I  had  done 
my  part  to  make  the  game  go  on  smoothly.  At  the 
Yards,  the  next  morning,  it  was  the  same  thing:  my  desk 
was  covered  with  flowers,  and  the  boys  kept  me  busy 
shaking  hands  and  taking  in  the  cigars  until  I  thought  I 
was  at  a  church  presentation  party.  Big  John  was  one 
of  the  first  to  welcome  me  back. 

"  Say  !  do  you  want  a  vacation  ?  The  old  man  thinks 
a  month  or  two  would  be  the  right  thing.  Enjoy  your 
self,  my  boy,  after  your  arduous  duty  !  " 

"  Shoo ! "  I  replied.  "  What  would  I  do  with  a 
month's  vacation,  John?  I've  just  pined  to  be  back 
here  at  work.  What  do  I  want  to  light  out  for  now  ?  " 

"  Supposing  some  of  'em  should  try  to  fix  you  ? "  he 
grinned. 


96        TNK    M  KM 01  US    OF    AN   AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

"I  guess  we've  fixed  them  for  good  and  all." 
"  Well,  your  nerve  is  all  right." 

So  I  sat  down  to  my  desk,  quite  the  cock  of  the  walk, 
and  felt  so  pleased  with  myself  that  you  would  think  'I 


Biy  John  was  one  of  the  first  to  welcome  me  back. 

had  saved  the  whole  town  from  being  blown  up.  I  was 
for  society  as  it  is,  first,  last,  and  all  the  time,  and  I  felt 
good  to  be  in  it. 

Once,  some  months  later,  I  saw  those  eight  men  again, 
when  they  were  brought  into  court  to  be  sentenced. 
They  all  had  a  chance  to  speechify,  and  I  listened  to 
them  for  a  time.  I  didn't  take  much  stock  in  Spies  and 
Parsons  —  long-winded,  talky,  wild  fellows.  But  the 


THE   TRIAL   OF    THE    ANARCHISTS  97 

others,  who  weren't  as  glib  as  those  two,  had  a  kind  of 
simple  sincerity  about  them.  They  had  the  courage  to 
stand  up  there  in  the  face  of  death  and  say  what  they, 
believed.  No  one  plead  for  mercy.  I  was  sorry  for  them. 

But,   nevertheless,  it  was  comfortable   to   be   of    the  \ 
strong.     The  world  is  for  the  strong,  I  said  to  myself  as  \ 
I  left  the  court,  and  I  am  one  of  them ! 


CHAPTER   IX 

ANOTHER    BOOST 

/  become  of  importance  in  Dround's —  Making  money — The  end 
of  Ma  Pierson's —  Rivals  in  sausaye  —  /  conclude  to  sell  my 
business — Bluffing  old  Strauss — Carmichael  regards  me  with 
respect 

AFTER  the  trial  came  another  boost  at  Dround's. 
Thanks  to  the  big  Irishman,  I  had  done  pretty  well 
before ;  but  now  there  was  some  one  at  the  top  watching 
me.  I  was  given  a  chance  to  see  what  I  could  do  to 
make  markets  in  the  new  Southwest,  which  was  develop 
ing  rapidly  and  in  my  opinion  offered  a  weak  house  like 
ours  a  better  opportunity  than  the  older  fields. 

And  my  little  venture  with  the  brothers  Schunemann 
was  booming  all  the  time.  Ed  and  Sloco  had  looked 
out  for  my  interests  during  the  trial,  and  had  kept  my 
partners  from  robbing  me.  Pretty  soon  I  was  able  to 
buy  out  their  interest  in  the  Aurora  plant  and  get  rid  of 
them  altogether,  putting  Ed  in  as  my  manager.  The 
Schunemanns  took  to  peddling  our  kosher  meat  in 
Chicago,  and  worked  up  a  good  trade.  In  my  trips  for 
Dround  &  Co.  I  was  able  to  make  a  large  business  for  the 
Duchess  brand  of  sausage,  which  soon  began  to  attract 
attention.  One  day  Carmichael  said  to  me : 

"  So  you're  a  sausage  maker,  after  all,  Van  '/  " 
98 


ANOTHER    BOOST  99 

"  Yes,  and  coining  money,  too/'  I  replied.  "  Perhaps 
Mr.  Dround  would  think  differently  now  about  the  cat's- 
meat  business." 

Carmichael  grunted.  I  suspected  that  he  might  like  to 
have  me  offer  the  firm  a  chance  to  come  into  my  business, 
but  I  had  no  such  idea.  I  saw  a  great  future  in  sausage, 
and,  after  that,  other  things  —  down  a  long  vista  of 
golden  years. 

About  this  time  Lou  Pier  son  disappeared  from  the 
house  and  never  came  back.  Slocum  went  East  and  did 
his  best  to  find  the  girl.  He  may  have  been  too  proud  to 
marry  her  sister,  but  he  felt  badly  enough  over  Lou's  going 
that  way.  Later,  when  I  saw  the  girl  in  New  York,  I 
concluded  her  return  could  do  no  good  to  any  one,  and 
said  nothing.  After  Lou  disappeared  the  old  man  be 
gan  to  drink  pretty  hard,  and  finally  had  to  go  to  the 
hospital.  The  Van  Buren  Street  house  was  a  drearier 
place  than  ever,  and  Slocum  and  I  decided  to  move  and 
start  housekeeping  together.  Ma  Pierson  needed  us  no 
longer.  The  Hostetters  were  keeping  house  for  the 
old  lady ;  for  Ed  married  Hillary  shortly  after  the  trial, 
and  together  they  tried  running  the  Enterprise.  But 
they  could  not  make  it  go,  somehow ;  so  later  I  made 
Ed  my  manager,  as  I  have  said.  Some  time  after  this, 
when  the  old  lady  Pierson  got  sick,  Slocum  and  I  saw 
that  she  had  a  little  rest  and  comfort  to  the  end  of  her 
days.  For  her  son  Dick  could  never  look  after  anybody 
but*  himself. 

We  had  not  been  lonsr  in  our  comfortable  flat  on  the 


100     THE    MK.MnlKS    nF    AX    AMERICAN   CITIZEN 

South  Side  before  an  unexpected  chance  came  to  me  to 
make  a  lot  of  money.  As  I  have  said,  the  Duchess 
brand  of  sausage,  packed  in  dainty  little  boxes,  was 
making  a  name  for  itself  and  attracting  the  attention 
of  the  trade.  I  began  to  have  rivals,  and  my  profits 
were  cut  somewhat ;  but  they  could  never  drive  out  the 
Duchess,  which  had  a  good  start.  One  day  Carmichael 
asked  me  if  I  would  like  to  sell  my  sausage  factory,  as 
he  called  the  Aurora  plant.  I  told  him  jokingly  he 
ladn't  the  money  to  buy  it.  But  in  reality  I  was  ready 
to  sell,  for  I  saw  that  if  the  big  packers  went  into  the 
business  in  earnest,  I  could  not  compete.  And  it  was 
only  a  matter  of  time  before  they  would  see,  as  I  had 
seen,  the  immense  profit  in  such  small  things.  So  when, 
a  few  days  later,  Carmichael  said  that  one  of  Strauss's 
men  had  asked  him  to  bring  me  over  to  their  place,  I 
went  quick  enough. 

Carmichael  took  me  into  Strauss's  office  and  intro 
duced  me  to  one  of  the  men,  a  shrewd  little  fellow,  who 
managed  some  of  the  old  man's  deals  for  him.  After  a 
little  while,  the  man,  Gooch,  began  to  talk  of  my  sau 
sage  business,  praised  the  idea,  and  hinted  that  his  boss 
might  consider  buying  me  out  "  for  a  proper  figure." 
So  we  began  to  deal,  and  pretty  soon  Gooch  named  a 
figure,  twenty-five  thousand  dollars  or  something  of  the 
sort,  expecting  me  to  bite.  I  laughed,  and  Carmichael, 
who  was  sitting  by  enjoying  the  fun,  said:  "He's  no  kid, 
Gooch,  though  he  looks  it.  Better  go  your  whole  figure 
straight  off."  Gooch  then  said  thirty-five  thousand  dol 
lars—that  was  the  limit.  I  began  to  talk  about  the 


ANOTHER    BOOST  101 

kosher  meat  business  the  Schimemann  brothers  were 
handling  for  me,  and  I  could  see  Gooch's  eyes  open. 
He  got  up  and  went  back  into  an  inner  office,  and  when 
he  returned  he  made  the  figure  fifty  thousand  dollars. 
Carmichael  expected  me  to  take  his  offer,  and  if  I  had 
been  asked  that  morning  I  should  have  said  it  was  a 
big  price.  But  suddenly  it  came  into  my  mind  that  in  / 
that  inner  office  was  the  great  Strauss  himself.  He 
thought  I  was  too  small  fry  to  deal  with :  he  left  me  to; 
his  lieutenant.  And  I  had  a  good  mind  to  bring  him  out 
to  buy  my  plant  of  me.  So  I  talked  on,  and  Gooch  asked 
me  to  name  my  figure. 

"  Seventy  thousand,"  I  answered  pretty  quick. 

Gooch  turned  to  his  desk,  as  if  to  tell  me  to  go  home, 
and  Carmichael  grunted,  thinking  how  he  would  laugh 
at  me  about  my  cheek.  I  began  to  think  I  had  gone 
too  far,  when  the  door  of  that  inner  office  was  pulled 
back  and  Strauss  himself  walked  into  the  room.  He 
nodded  to  Carmichael  and  gave  me  a  look  from  head  to 
foot,  but  said  nothing.  Gooch  waited  for  the  great  man 
to  speak. 

"  We'll  take  your  figure,  Mr.  Harrington,"  Strauss 
said,  after  he  had  looked  me  up  and  down,  and  walked 
out  again. 

It  took  my  breath  away :  the  next  moment  I  was 
sorry  I  hadn't  said  a  hundred,  it  seemed  so  easy.  But 
Strauss  was  back  in  his  office  and  the  door  was  pulled  to. 

The  next  I  knew  I  was  on  the  street,  and  big  John 
was  laughing  so  that  men  turned  to  look  at  him. 
"Pretty  good  for  a  kid,"  he  kept  saying  between  his 


102     THE   MEMOIRS    OF   AN    AMERICAN   CITIZEN 


bursts  of  laughter.     "  You  had  the  old  fox  on  the  run. 
He  wanted  your  cat's-meat  place  bad,  though." 


The  door  of  the  inner  office  teas  pulled  back  and  Straus* 
walked  into  the  room. 


We  went  into  a  saloon,  and  I  set  up  a  bottle  of 
champagne. 

"  You're  all  right,"  Carmichael  said  to  me  when  we 
had  drunk  to  my  good  luck.  "  You  couldn't  have  run 


ANOTHER    BOOST  103 

that  place  much  longer.  The  big  ones  would  have  eaten 
you  up,  hide  and  all.'7 

"  I  knew  that ! "  I  said  calmly. 

Carmichael  looked  at  me  with  considerable  respect, 
and  that  was  one  of  the  pleasantest  moments  of  my 
life. 


CHAPTER   X 

LOVE 

A  poor  stenographer —  The  positive  young  lady  tinder  altered  cir 
cumstances  —  Miss  Gentles'* s  story  —  A  hard  road  for  tender  feet 
—  Social  and  sentimental  —  A  misunderstanding  —  Which  is 
made  right  in  the  only  way  —  My  boss  invites  us  to  dinner  — 
Another  kind  of  woman  —  A  woman1  s  shrewdness  — The  social 
gift  _  At  the  opera  —  Business  and  pleasure  —  Sarah  on  Mrs. 
Dround 

IT  was  a  hot  day  in  August  three  years  after  the  trial ; 
I  was  sitting  in  CarmichaePs  office  trying  to  get  a  breath 
of  fresh  air  from  his  west  windows.  I  called  old  Peters 
and  asked  him  to  send  me  up  a  stenographer. 

"  Haven't  a  good  one  in  the  place,  Mr.  Harrington,"  he 
said.  "All  the  smart  ones  are  off  on  their  vacation. 
There's  Miss  Gentles,  though  — the  old  man  generally 
keeps  her  for  himself,  but  he's  gone  home  by  this 
time." 

"  Send  up  anything  so  long  as  it  can  write  ! " 

"  Well,  she  ain't  much  good,"  Peters  replied. 

I  had  my  head  down  behind  my  desk  when  the  ste 
nographer  came  in,  and  I  began  to  dictate  without  look 
ing  up.  These  stenographer  ladies  were  all  of  a  piece  to 
me,  —  pert,  knowing  misses,  —  all  but  Miss  Harben:  she 
was  fifty  and  sour,  and  took  my  letters  like  biting  off 

104 


LOVE  105 

thread.  This  one  evidently  wasn't  in  her  class,  for  pretty 
soon  she  sang  out :  — 

"  Please  wait !     I  can't  go  so  fast." 

So  I  waited,  and  looked  up  to  see  what  I  had  to  do  with. 
This  young  woman  was  a  good-looking,  ladylike  person, 
with  a  mass  of  lovely  brown  hair  and  long  brown  eye 
lashes.  She  was  different  from  the  other  girls  in  the 
office,  and  yet  it  seemed  to  me  I  had  seen  her  before. 
She  was  dressed  in  black,  a  sort  of  half  mourning,  I 
judged.  Pretty  soon  she  got  stuck  again  and  asked  me 
to  repeat.  This  time  she  looked  at  me  imploringly. 

"  I  am  not  very  good,"  she  said  with  a  smile. 

"  No,  you  are  not,"  I  replied. 

She  laughed  at  my  blunt  answer  —  laughed  pleasantly, 
like  a  lady  who  knows  how  to  turn  off  a  harsh  truth,  not 
flirtatiously,  like  most  of  her  profession. 

"  Been  long  at  it  ?  "  I  asked  the  next  time  she  broke 
down. 

"  Not  so  very.  I  graduated  from  the  school  about  six 
months  ago,  and  I  have  always  worked  for  Mr.  Dround 
since  then.  He  doesn't  talk  as  fast  as  you  do,  not 
nearly." 

She  smiled  again  at  me,  frankly  and  naturally.  Sud 
denly  I  remembered  where  I  had  seen  that  face  before, 
and  when  she  looked  up  again  I  said :  — 

"  Did  you  ever  find  that  purse,  Miss  Gentles  ?  " 

She  looked  puzzled  at  first ;  then  a  light  spread  over 
her  face,  and  she  stammered :  — 

"  Why,  of  course,  you  are  the  Mr.  Harrington  who  — 
But  you  have  changed !  " 


106     THE   MEMOIRS   OF   AN   AMERICAN   CITIZEN 

"  Rather,  I  hope !  And  the  light  wasn't  good  in  the 
police  station  that  morning." 

Miss  Gentles  leaned  back  in  her  chair  and  laughed,  a 
blush  spreading  prettily  over  her  face. 

"  It's  all  so  funny  !  "  she  exclaimed. 

"  Funnier  now  than  it  was  then,"  I  admitted. 


41  Why,  of  course,  you  are  the  Mr.  Harrington  who —    But  you 
have  changed!'1'1 


"  I  am  very  glad  to  meet  you  again.  No,  I  never  found 
that  purse.  The  judge  still  twits  me,  when  he  sees  me, 
about  changing  my  mind.  He  thinks—  Then  she 
stopped  in  embarrassment,  and  it  was  some  time  before  I 
found  out  what  the  judge  did  think. 

"Have  you  been  back  to  that  place  in  Indiana?"  she 
asked.  And  we  had  quite  a  chat.  She  talked  to  me  like 
a  young  lady  who  was  receiving  a  caller  in  her  father's 
house.  It  took  a  long  time  to  finish  the  few  letters  I  had 


LOVE  107 

started  to  write.  When  she  went,  I  got  up  and  opened 
the  door  for  her.  I.  had  to. 

"  Good  afternoon,  Mr.  Harrington,"  she  said,  holding 
out  her  hand.  "  I  am  so  glad  to  have  met  you  again." 

Old  Peters,  who  was  in  the  outer  office,  looked  at  us  in 
considerable  surprise.  When  Miss  Gentles  had  gone  he 
remarked  in  a  gossiping  way  :  — 

"  So  you  know  the  young  woman  ?  " 

"  I  met  her  once  years  ago,"  I  admitted.  "  How  did 
she  land  here  ?  She  doesn't  seem  to  have  had  much 
experience  as  a  stenographer." 

"No,  she  hasn't.  Her  father  died  several  years  ago, 
and  didn't  leave  a  cent.  He  was  a  very  popular  doctor, 
though  —  a  Southerner.  They  lived  kind  of  high,  I 
guess,  while  there  was  anything.  The  Drounds  knew 
them  in  their  better  days,  and  when  the  doctor  died 
Mrs.  Dround  tried  to  help  the  girl  in  one  way  and 
another.  Then  they  fixed  up  this  job  for  her.  I  guess 
Mr.  Dround  don't  work  her  very  hard.  Sorry  you  were 
troubled  with  her.  We'll  see  that  you  get  a  rattler  the 
next  time,  Mr.  Harrington,"  he  ended.  (The  men  in  the 
office  were  pretty  nice  to  u  Mr.  Harrington  "  these  days  !) 

"  Oh,  she  isn't  so  bad !  "  I  said  to  Peters.  For  I  rather 
looked  forward  to  seeing  the  pretty,  pleasant-mannered 
girl  again.  "I'd  just  as  soon  have  Miss  Gentles  next 
week  when  Mr.  Dround  goes  East,  if  no  one  else  wants 
her." 

Old  Peters  had  a  twinkle  in  his  eyes  as  he  answered :  — 

"  Just  as  you  say,  Mr.  Harrington." 

So  I  came  to  see  a  good  deal  of  Miss  Gentles  that 


108     THE   MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITl/EN 

summer  while  Mr.  Dround  was  away  on  his  vacation. 
I  can't  say  that  the  young  lady  developed  much  business 
ability.  She  forgot  most  things  with  a  wonderful  ease, 
and  she  was  never  very  accurate.  But  she  tried  hard, 
and  it  seemed  to  worry  her  so  when  I  pointed  out  her 
mistakes  that  I  took  to  having  in  another  stenographer 
in  the  afternoon  to  finish  what  she  hadn't  done. 

Miss  Gentles  boarded  with  an  old  aunt  of  her  mother's 
near  where  Slocum  and  I  lived.  I  gathered  that  the 
aunt  and  her  husband  were  not  very  kind  to  her.  They 
thought  she  ought  to  marry,  h.iving  good  looks  and  no 
money.  Miss  Gentles  let  me  c.ill  on  her,  and  before  the 
summer  was  over  we  were  pretty  well  acquainted.  For 
a  long  time  the  thought  of  May  had  kept  me  from  look 
ing  at  a  woman  ;  I  always  saw  that  little  white  face 
and  those  searching  eyes,  and  heard  that  mocking  laugh. 
But  Miss  Gentles  was  so  different  from  May  that  she 
never  made  me  think  of  the  woman  I  had  once  loved. 

I  took  Slocum  to  call  on  my  new  acquaintance,  but 
they  didn't  get  on  well  together.  She  thought  his  old 
Yankee  ways  were  hard,  and  I  suppose  he  thought  I  was 
bound  on  the  voyage  of  life  with  a  pleasure-loving  mate. 
He  used  to  growl  to  me  about  tying  myself  to  a  woman, 
but  I  always  said  he  needn't  worry  about  me  —  I  wasn't 
the  marrying  kind. 

"  Oh,  you'll  be  wanting  to  get  married  the  same  as  the 
rest  of  the  world,"  Sloco  would  answer,  "  and  have  a 
wife  and  children  to  spend  your  money  on  and  make  you 
earn  more ! " 

But  I  thought  differently.    A  man  of  my  sort,  I  replied 


LOVE  109 

to  him,  works  and  fights  just  the  same  without  wife  or 
child,  because  of  the  fight  in  him,  because  he  can't  help 
himself,  any  more  than  the  man  who  wants  to  drink 
can  keep  his  lips  from  the  glass.  It's  in  his  blood  and 
bone.  .  .  . 

Miss  Gentles  had  seen  a  good  deal  of  society,  —  the  best 
there  was  in  the  city  in  those  early  days.  It  was  odd  to 
hear  her  talking  about  people  who  were  just  big  names 
to  me,  as  if  she  had  known  them  all  her  life.  I  must 
have  struck  her  as  pretty  green.  But  she  made  me  feel 
from  the  first  like  some  one  she  had  always  known.  She 
was  proud  enough,  but  simple,  and  not  in  the  least  re 
served.  She  told  me  all  about  her  people,  the  easy  times 
and  the  hard  times.  And  never  a  word  of  complaint  or 
regret  for  all  the  parties  and  good  things  that  were  gone 
out  of  her  life.  She  was  one  to  take  her  beer  with  a 
joke  when  she  couldn't  have  champagne.  Of  course, 
I  told  her,  first  and  last,  all  my  story.  She  made  me 
take  her  to  see  the  Hostetters  at  the  old  place  on  Van 
Buren  Street.  Then  the  four  of  us  went  up  the  lake  on 
a  picnic  one  Sunday.  Hillary,  I  remember,  was  sullen 
because  Ed  paid  so  much  attention  to  Miss  Gentles  on 
this  trip. 

So  we  became  good  friends.  Yet  I  never  felt  really 
intimate  with  her,  as  I  had  with  Hillary,  and  when  I 
tried  to  step  past  a  certain  line  she  had  her  own  way 
of  keeping  me  off,  not  haughtily  or  pertly,  but  like  a 
lady  who  knew  how  people  of  the  great  world,  where 
I  had  never  been,  behaved  to  one  another.  One  day,  I 
remember,  I  was  fool  enough  to  send  her  a  little  fancy 


110     Till:    MKMOIRS   OF   AN   AMERICAN   CITIZEN 

purse  with  a  gold  eagle  in  it,  and  a  line  saying  that  it 
was  time  for  me  to  make  restitution,  or  something  of  the 
sort.  My  gift  came  back  quick  enough,  with  a  clever 
little  note  tucked  inside,  saying  she  couldn't  let  me 
admit  that  I  had  taken  her  purse.  It  was  a  good  lesson 
for  me. 

When  Mr.  Dround  returned  in  the  fall  she  reported  to 
him  for  work,  and  I  was  not  altogether  sorry.  I  had 
plenty  of  chances  to  see  her  outside  of  the  office  now, 
and  I  was  desperately  busy.  In  a  few  days,  however' 
when  I  happened  to  be  in  Mr.  Dround's  office  on  some 
matter,  he  began  to  talk  about  Miss  Gentles.  Peters  had 
told  him  that  I  had  had  her  as  my  stenographer  during 
his  absence,  and  Mr.  Dround  would  like  to  have  me  con 
tinue,  as  she  wasn't  adapted  to  his  needs.  Then  he  spoke 
of  her  people,  and  how  he  and  Mrs.  Dround  had  held  them 
in  the  highest  esteem,  and  had  tried  to  do  something 
for  this  girl.  But  there  had  seemed  to  be  nothing  that 
she  was  really  fitted  to  do. 

So  we  began  again  our  work  together,  only  it  was 
worse;  for  her  fashionable  friends  were  back  in  the 
city  now,  and  they  kept  inviting  her  out  to  parties  and 
one  thing  and  another,  until  she  was  too  sleepy  to  do  her 
work  in  the  morning  and  was  rather  irregular.  Then  she 
was  ill,  off  for  a  fortnight.  I  had  Peters  hire  me  another 
enographer,  a  man,  and  Miss  Gentles  still  drew  her  pay. 
Peters  winked  at  me  when  I  suggested  that  he  needn't 
mention  the  fact  of  her  absence  in  his  report.  I  suppose 
[  had  stopped  to  think  of  it,  I  should  have  considered 
t  more  businesslike  of  her  to  quit  her  society  and  parties 


LOVE  111 

when  she  found  they  were  interfering  with  her  work. 
It  was  human,  though,  that  she  should  want  to  get  a 
little  fun  out  of  her  life,  and  not  lose  sight  altogether 
of  the  gay  world  where  they  have  time  to  amuse  them 
selves.  And  a  pretty  woman  like  her  could  hardly  be 
expected  to  take  stenography  in  a  stock-yards  office 
seriously. 

Well,  I  missed  her  more  and  more,  especially  as  I 
couldn't  see  her  now  that  she  was  ill,  and  had  to  con 
tent  myself  with  nice  little  notes  of  thanks  for  the 
flowers  and  fruit  I  sent.  She  came  back  at  last,  look 
ing  weak  and  droopy,  for  the  first  time  rather  hopeless, 
as  if  she  saw  that  she  wasn't  fitted  for  the  job  and 
couldn't  keep  up  with  her  friends,  either.  I  felt  very 
sorry  for  her.  She  wasn't  made  for  work  —  any  one 
could  see  that  —  and  it  was  a  cruel  shame  to  let  her 
boggle  on  with  it.  Just  then  I  had  to  go  to  Texas  on 
business;  when  I  got  back  a  week  or  so  later,  Peters 
told  me  that  Miss  Gentles  had  left  five  days  before. 
A  cold  little  note  on  my  desk  said  good-by,  and  thanked 
me  for  my  kindness  to  her  —  never  a  word  of  explanation. 

I  was  so  up'set  that  I  didn't  wait  to  open  ray  letters, 
but  called  a  cab  and  started  for  the  aunt's  to  find  out 
what  was  the  matter.  It  was  just  as  well  I  had  been  in  a 
hurry,  for  in  another  ten  minutes  Miss  Gentles  would  have 
been  on  her  way  to  Louisville,  and  it  would  have  taken 
a  week  to  hunt  out  the  small  place  in  Kentucky  where 
she  was  going.  Her  trunk  was  packed,  and  she  was 
sitting  with  her  aunt  in  the  large,  ugly  parlor,  waiting 
for  the  expressman  to  come.  When  I  walked  in, 


112     THE    MEMOIRS    OF   AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

following  the   servant,  she  didn't    dniw   back    her   veil, 

but   merely    stood    up    and    touched    fingers    with    me. 

I  saw  that  something  was  so  wrong  that  it  had  to  be 

made  right  at  once,  with  no  time  to  spare. 

"  You  will  kindly  let  me  speak  to  Miss  Gentles  alone," 

I  said  to  the  aunt,  who  was  inclined  to  stick.     She  went 

out  of  the  room  ungraciously. 

"Xow,"  I  said,  taking  the  girl's   hand   and   looking 

through  her  veil  into  her  eyes,  "what  is  the  matter? 

Tell  me." 

Her  eyes  were  large  and  moist,  and  her  lips  quivered. 

But   she    shut   her    teeth    down   hard   and   said    stiffly; 

"Nothing   whatever,   Mr.    Harrington.      You    are    very 
kind  to  come  to  see  me  before  I  leave." 

"  You  aren't  going  to  put  me  off  with  any  such  smooth 
answer  as  that,"  I  said,  «  or  you  will  have  my  company 
all  the  way  you're  going,  wherever  it  may  be.  Tell  me 
the  straight  truth,  and  all  of  it." 

She  began  to  laugh  at  my  bluffing  words,  and  ended 
with  a  nervous  sob.  After  a  while  I  learned  the  whole 
story.  It  seems  that  the  man  I  employed  talked  out 
in  the  office  about  how  he  did  all  my  work,  and  while 
I  was  South  one  of  the  "lady"  stenographers  had  said 
something  to  Miss  Gentles  — a  something  she  would  not 
tell  me.  So  she  got  up  and  took  her  leave,  and  knowing 
that  her  old  aunt  wouldn't  want  her  around  if  she  had 
no  job,  she  had  written  some  cousins  in  Kentucky  and 
was  going  to  them. 

The  expressman  came  about  this  time,  but  he  didn't 
take  her  trunk.  And  when  I  left  that  chilly  parlor  we 


LOVE 


113 


were  engaged  to  be  married.  She  said  at  the  last,  putting 
her  hands  on  my  coat:  "You  know  I  always  liked  you, 
even  in  the  police  station,  Mr.  Harrington  —  and  —  and 
I  am  so  very,  very  happy,  now,  Van !  It  was  terrible  to 
think  of  going  away.  I  had  to,  before  you.  were  due 
home.  I  was  never  so  miserable  before  in  my  life ! ' 

Something  stirred  from  the  bottom  of  my  heart.  I 
felt  pitiful  for  all  her  trouble,  her  weakness,  her  struggle 
with  a  world  she  wasn't  made  for.  Then  she  said  trust 
ingly,  like  a  little  child  :  — 

«  And  you  will  always  be  good  to  me,  as  papa  was  with 
mamma,  and  patient,  and  love  me  a  great  deal,  won't 
you  ?  Yes,  I  know  you  will !  " 

I  kissed  her,  feeling  then  that  nothing  in  life  could 
ever  be  like  the  privilege  of  loving  and  protecting  this 
woman  in  her  helplessness.  I  suppose  that  words  like 
.  those  she  and  I  spoke  then  are  common  enough  between 
men  and  women  when  they  are  in  love.  Yet  those  words 
have  always  been  to  me  like  some  kind  of  sacred  oath 
—  the  woman  asking,  out  of  her  weakness,  for  love  and 
protection  from  the  one  who  holds  all  happiness  and  life 
for  her,  and  the  man,  with  his  hasty  passions,  promising 
of  the  best  there  is  in  him. 

Many  a  time  in  later  years,  when  it  hasn't  always  been 
easy  to  see  things  simply  as  it  was  then  in  our  first  joy, 
those  words  of  hers  have  come  back  to  me  and  given  me 
that  same  soft  tug  at  my  heart.  To  hurt  her  would  be  to 
strike  a  child,  to  wring  the  neck  of  a  bird  that  nestled  in 
your  hand.  There  are  a  good  many  kinds  of  love  in  this 
world,  as  there  are  of  hate ;  perhaps  about  the  best  of  all 


114     THE   MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

/  is  this  desire  to  protect  and  cherish  a  woman  —  the  feel- 
{  ing  that  any  man  who  is  worth  his  salt  has  for  the  one 
he  wants  to  marry.  .  .  . 

Sarah  walked  part  way  back  to  the  office  with  me  that 
morning,  then  turned  north,  saying  she  must  try  to  find 
Mrs.  Dround  and  tell  her.  She  was  so  happy  she 
couldn't  go  home  and  sit  down  quietly  until  I  got  back 
from  the  office.  Mrs.  Dround,  she  knew,  would  be 
specially  glad  to  hear  the  news. 

"  For  she  thinks  you  are  a  very  smart  young  man," 
Sarah  added  shyly. 

"  The  lady  must  be  a  mind  reader,  then ;  for  in  the  ten 
years  I  have  been  with  the  firm  I  can't  remember  seeing 
her  once." 

"  Oh,  yes,  she  has  seen  you.  She  said  so.  Anyway, 
Jane  knows  all  about  you,  you  may  be  sure.  There  isn't 
much  that  goes  on  around  her  that  Jane  doesn't  know 
about." 

With  that  she  gave  me  a  happy  little  nod  and  was  off 
to  the  great  stone  house  of  my  boss  up  north  on  the  lake. 
It  was  a  windy,  dirty  December  day,  but  I  was  very  con 
tent  with  the  world  as  it  was  and  thought  Chicago  was 
the  finest  city  in  the  world.  As  I  sat  down  to  my  desk 
my  mind  began  to  dance  in  a  whirl  of  thoughts  —  of  old 
plans  and  new  combinations.  I  wondered  what  Sarah 
would  say  to  some  of  my  schemes  to  make  our  fortune. 
Perhaps  they  would  merely  frighten  her ;  for  a  woman  is 
a  natural  conservative.  I  hurried  up  my  business  to  get 
back  to  her  and  tell  her  that  some  day,  not  so  very 
distant,  she  would  be  a  tolerably  rich  woman.  For  now 


LOVE  115 

it  seemed  only  a  step  into  the  greater  things  I  had  seen 
all  these  years  afar  off. 

The  Drounds  gave  us  a  dinner  not  long  afterward. 
I  reached  the  house  early,  expecting  to  have  a  little  time 
with  Sarah  before  the  others  came.  Pretty  soon  I  heard 
the  rustle  of  skirts,  but,  instead  of  Sarah,  a  tall,  thin 
woman  in  a  black  lace  evening-dress  came  into  the  room 
where  the  servant  had  left  me.  Instantly  I  knew  that 
this  was  the  face  I  had  seen  in  the  carriage  the  morning 
after  the  anarchist  riot.  She  was  a  beautiful  woman, 
with  a  dark,  almost  foreign  look.  She  smiled  cordially 
as  she  gave  me  her  hand. 

"Sarah  is  not  quite  ready.  She  wants  to  make  her 
self  very  fine  —  the  child  !  And  Mr.  Dround  is  late,  too. 
I  am  glad,  because  it  will  give  us  a  few  minutes  to  our 
selves.  Come  into  the  library." 

She  led  the  way  into  a  long,  stately  room,  with  a 
beautiful  ceiling  in  wood  and  gold.  At  one  end,  in  a 
little  arched  recess,  a  wood  fire  was  blazing.  There 
were  a  number  of  large  paintings  on  the  walls,  and 
queer  Eastern  idols  and  curios  in  cabinets.  Mr. 
Dround  had  the  reputation  of  being  something  of  a 
traveller  and  collector.  My  first  glance  around  that 
room  explained  a  good  deal  to  me  about  the  head  of 
our  firm. 

Mrs.  Dround  seated  herself  near  the  fire,  where  the 
light  from  a  great  candelabrum  filled  with  candles 
flickered  above  her  head.  Her  dark  eyes  gleamed 
under  the  black  hair;  it  was  a  puzzle  of  a  face! 


1H>     THK    MKMOIKS    OF    AN     AMERICA*     C1TI/KN 

She  In-un  pretty  soon  to  talk  of  Sarah  in  a  natural 
but  terribly  shrewd  way. 

"I  wonder,  Mr.  Harrington,  if  yon  know  your  treas 
ure,"  she  said,  half  laughing.  «  It  takes  most  men  years 
to  know  the  woman  they  marry,  if  they  ever  do." 

"  Well,  I  know 
enough  now  to  begin 
with!" 

"  Sarah    is    such    a 
woman— tender,loyal, 
loving.       It    needs    a 
woman  to  know  a  wo 
man,  Mr.  Harrington. 
Hut  she  hasn't  a  par 
ticle  of  practical  sense: 
she  can't  keep  an  ac 
count    straight.      She 
has     no     idea     what 
economy       is  —  only 
want  or  plenty.     She 
is  Southern,  so  South 
ern  !       Those     people 
never  think  what  will 
happen  day  after  to 
morrow." 

It  seemed  queer  that 
she  should  be  telling 

me  this  kind  of  thin-,  which  I  should  be  finding  out  last 
enough  for  myself  before  long.  Perhaps  she  wanted  to 
see  what  I  would  say;  at  any  rate  I  replied  clumsily 


She  was  reading  me  like  a  book  of  large 
print. 


LOVE  117 

something  about  not  expecting  to  make  a  housekeeper 
of  my  wife. 

"  Yet,"  she  said  slowly,  studying  me,  "  a  woman  can  do 
so  much  to  make  or  mar  her  husband's  career." 

"  I  guess  I  shan't  lay  it  up  against  my  wife,  if  I  don't 
pull  out  a  winner." 

She  laughed  at  that. 

"So  you  think  you  are  strong  enough  to  win  a  fight 
without  a  woman's  help  ?  " 

"  I've  done  it  so  far,"  I  said,  thinking  a  little  of  May. 

"  You  have  made  a  beginning,  a  good  beginning,"  she 
remarked  judiciously. 

She  was  reading  me  like  a  book  of  large  print,  leaning 
back  in  her  great  chair,  her  eyes  half  closed,  her  face  in 
shade  except  when  the  firelight  flashed. 

"  I  suppose  the  only  way  is  to  keep  on  as  you  begin  — 
keep  your  eyes  open  and  take  everything  in  sight,"  I  con 
tinued  lightly. 

"It  depends  on  how  much  you  want,  perhaps." 

"  I  want  pretty  much  all  that  I  can  get,"  I  retorted 
quickly,  my  eyes  roving  over  the  rich  room,  with  an  idea 
that  I  might  like  to  put  Sarah  in  some  such  place  as  this. 

Mrs.  Dround  laughed  a  long,  low  laugh,  as  though  she 
were  speculating  why  I  was  what  I  was. 

"  Well,  you  are  strong  enough,  my  friend,  I  see.  As  for 
Sarah,  love  her  and  don't  look  for  what  you  cairt  find." 

Just  then  we  heard  Sarah's  laugh.  She  came  into  the 
room  with  Mr.  Dround,  a  smile  kindling  graciously  all 
over  her  face.  The  two  women,  as  they  kissed  each  other, 
made  a  picture  —  the  dark  head  against  the  light  one. 


118     THE   MEMOIRS   OF    AN    AMERICAN   CITIZEN 

Then  Mrs.  Dround  gave  Sarah  a  cool,  motherly  pat  on 
the  cheek,  saying :  - 

"I  have  been  offering  your  young  man  some  advice, 
Sarah." 

"  He  doesn't  need  it !  "  Sarah  answered  in  a  flash. 

"Well,  I  don't  know  that  he  does,"  Mrs.  Dround 
laughed  back,  kissing  her  again.  Every  one  loved  Sarah 
in  the  same  protecting  way  !  Soon  after  this  Mr.  Dround 
came  up,  smiling  genially  at  the  women's  talk,  and  gave 
me  his  hand. 

I  had  not  seen  the  chief  out  of  business  hours  before. 
I  had  never  thought  him  much  of  a  business  man  in  the 
office,  and  here,  in  his  own  house,  with  his  pictures  and 
books  and  curios,  he  was  about  the  last  person  any  one 
would  believe  spent  his  days  over  in  Packington. 

It  wasn't  to  be  a  simple  dinner  that  evening.  Sarah 
whispered  that  Jane  had  insisted  on  inviting  a  lot  of 
people,  some  important  people,  she  said,  to  meet  her 
young  man.  And  presently  the  guests  arrived,  —  Lardner 
and  Steele  and  Jefferson  with  their  wives,  and  a  number 
of  others.  About  the  only  ones  I  knew  were  big  John 
and  his  very  fat  wife.  They  seemed  to  be  as  much  out 
of  the  crowd  as  I  felt  I  was,  with  all  my  coolness.  But 
Sarah  was  perfectly  at  her  ease.  I  admired  her  all  afresh 
when  I  saw  how  easily  and  gayly  she  took  the  pretty 
things  those  men  said  to  her. 

I  was  more  at  my  ease  in  the  smoking  room  after 
dinner,  where  I  had  to  tell  the  story  about  the  theft  of 
the  purse  in  Steele's  store.  The  shrewd  old  merchant 
laughed  heartily. 


1  have  been  offering  your  young  man  some  advice,  Sarah." 
119 


120      I  UK    MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

"I  trust,  Mr.  Harrington,"  he  drawled,  "  that  now  you 
are  going  to  marry  you  will  lose  your  purse  there  in  place 
of  taking  one." 

They  paid  me  considerable  attention  all  around,  and  it 
gave  me  a  pleasant  feeling  — all  of  which,  I  knew,  was 
due  to  Sarah.  I  was  nothing  but  a  newcomer  among  them, 
but  she  was  the  daughter  of  an  old  friend.  And  she  had 
a  wonderful  way  of  her  own  of  coming  close  to  people. 
I  remember  that  we  went  later  to  the  opera,  which  was 
being  given  in  that  big  barn  of  an  exposition  building  on 
the  lake  front  where  I  had  had  my  first  experience  of 
Chicago  hospitality.  We  were  in  a  box,  and  between 
the  acts  people  came  in  to  call.  Sarah  introduced  me 
to  some  of  them,  and  she  held  a  reception  then  and  there 
while  Mrs.  Dround  looked  on  and  smiled. 

I  forget  the  opera  that  was  given, —  some  French 
thing,  — but  I  remember  how  gay  the  place  was,  and 
all  the  important  people  of  the  city  whom  Sarah  pointed 
out  to  me.  Even  as  a  matter  of  business,  I  saw  it  would 
be  a  good  thing  to  know  these  people.  Of  course,  the 
social  side  of  life  doesn't  count  directly  in  making  money, 
but  it  may  count  a  good  deal  in  getting  close  to  the  crowd 
Nthat  knows  how  to  make  money.  Perhaps  I  began  to 
have  even  a  little  more  pride  in  Sarah  than  I  had  before, 
seeing  how  she  knew  people  and  counted  for  something 
with  them.  In  the  game  that  we  were  going  to  play 
together  this  social  business  might  come  in  handily, 
perhaps. 

In   one  of   the   intervals   of  the   opera   Mrs.  Dround 
remarked  as  if  her  mind  had  been  on  the  same  idea :  - 


LOVE  121 

"  You  see  Sarah's  sphere,  Mr.  Harrington  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  I  replied.     "  And  the  girl  does  it  tip-top  !  " 

She  laughed. 

"  Of  course  !     It's  in  the  blood." 

"Well,  it  isn't  a  bad  thing,  some  of  it,"  I  went  on 
with  pride  and  content.  "  Strauss  isn't  here,  is  he  ?  "  I 
asked. 

"  The  Strausses  never  go  anywhere,  you  know." 

"  He's  the  biggest  of  them  all,  too,"  I  said  partly  to 
myself. 

"  You  think  so  ?  Why  ?  "  she  asked,  her  brows  com 
ing  together. 

"  He's  the  biggest  dog,  and  it's  dog  eat  dog  in  our  busi 
ness,  as  all  over  nowadays,"  I  replied. 

"  Why  now  more  than  ever  before  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  It's  in  the  air.  There's  a  change  coming  over  busi 
ness,  and  you  feel  it  the  same  as  you  feel  a  shift  in  the 
wind.  It's  harder  work  righting  to  live  now  than  ever 
before,  and  it  can't  go  on  like  this  forever.  The  big  dog 
will  eat  up  the  rest." 

"  And  you  think  Strauss  is  our  big  dog  ?  "  she  asked 
with  a  smile. 

I  saw  then  where  she  had  led  me,  but  it  was  too  late  to 
be  less  frank. 

"  Yes,"  I  answered,  looking  her  in  the  eyes. 

"  Then  how  should  one  keep  out  of  his  jaws  ?  "  she 
went  on,  playing  with  her  fan. 

"Well,  you  can  always  get  out  of  a  scrap  and  stay  out 
—  or—        I  hesitated. 
"  Or  ?  "  she  persisted. 


122     THE    MEMOIRS   OF    AX    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

"  Put  up  such  a  fight  that  the  big  fellow  will  give  you 
good  terms  to  get  rid  of  you  !  " 

"  I  see.  You  have  given  me  something  to  think  about, 
Mr.  Harrington." 

44  The  time  is  coming,"  I  went  on,  careless  whether 
she  repeated  to  Mr.  Dround  my  views,  "and  mighty 
quick,  too,  when  that  man  Strauss  will  have  the  food- 
products  business  of  this  country  in  his  fist,  and  the  rest 
of  us  will  be  his  hired  men,  and  take  what  he  gives  us ! " 

"  What  are  you  two  talking  about  in  this  intimate 
way  ?  "  Sarah  broke  in. 

"  The  future,"  Mrs.  Dround  said. 

"  Business,"  I  added. 

44~  Business  ! "  Sarah  sniffed,  and  I  knew  I  had  done 
something  I  ought  not  to  do.  "And  Nevada  singing 
so  divinely  to-night !  Come,  Van,  I  want  you  to  meet 
Mr.  Morehead."  And  I  was  led  away  from  our  hostess 
to  keep  me  out  of  mischief. 

On  our  way  home  after  the  opera  Sarah  and  I  talked 
of  Mrs.  Dround.  I  had  never  met  any  woman  like  her, 
and  I  was  loud  in  her  praise. 

"  Yes,"  Sarah  admitted  slowly,  "  she  seemed  to  like 
you.  Hut  did  you  see  how  she  treated  the  Carmichaels  ? 
Just  civil,  and  hardly  that.  Nobody  can  understand 
Jane.  She  just  does  as  she  wants  always." 

"  I  believe  she  must  have  a  great  head  for  business. 
If  she  were  in  Henry  I. 's  shoes  — 

"  I  don't  see  why  you  say  that !  I  am  sure  you  never 
hear  the  least  word  about  business  in  their  house." 


LOVE 


123 


I   smiled   at   Sarah's   little   show   of    temper,   as   she 
continued  :  — 

"Anyway,  it  would  be  strange  if  she  didn't  know 
something  about  money-making.  Her  father  was  old 
Joe  Sanson  —  they  say  he  was  a  half-breed  and  made  his 
money  trading  with  the  Indians  and  getting  Government 
lands.  Father  used  to  tell  stories  about  him.  We  heard 
that  he  left  her  a  great  deal  of  money,  but  nobody  knows 
much  about  her  or  her  affairs.  She's  so  silent." 
"I  didn't  find  her  so." 

Sarah  apparently  did  not  altogether  share  my  enthu 
siasm  for  Mrs.  Dround. 

"  Tell  me,"  she  demanded,  "just  what  she  said  to  you, 
every  word." 

"  I  can't.     She  talks  with  her  eyes,  most." 
"  Oh,  I  hate  to  have  men  discuss  business  with  women. 
It  is  such  bad  taste ! " 

"Why,   Sarah,   business   is   the   whole  thing  for    me. 
There  isn't  anything  else  I  can  talk  about  except  you." 

"  Talk  about  me,  then.     I  shall  have  to  keep  you  out 
of  Jane's  way.     I  don't  want  you  to  talk  to  her  about 
things  I  don't  understand." 
"  Why  not  ?  " 

She  shivered  and  drew  me  closer  to  her. 
"Because,   Jane  — I   am   afraid   of  Jane.     She  is  so 
strong,  and  I  am  so  weak.     If  she  wanted  you,  or  any 
body,  she  would  take  you." 

For  all  reply  to  this  nonsense  I  kissed  her  good  night. 


CHAPTER   XI 

MARRIAGE 

Old  scenes— How  home  looks  after  the  city  — My  sister-in-law  — 
In  the  country  a  man  grows  old  —  The  judge  once  more  —  I 
make  Will  a  suggestion  —  The  joy  of  success  — My  wedding 
breakfast—  Unexpected  talk—  The  hand  of  Jane 

JUST  before  we  were  married,  Sarah  and  I  went  down 
to  my  old  home  in  Jasonville.  She  was  determined  that 
I  should  make  it  up  with  my  folks;  it  hurt  her  gentle 
heart  to  think  that  I  had  lived  all  these  years  without 
any  news  of  my  kin.  It  was  a  freezing  January  day 
when  we  drove  up  to  the  red  brick  house  next  the  store. 
As  we  rattled  over  the  rutty  streets  in  the  depot  carriage, 
and  passed  the  small  frame  houses  all  closed  in  for  the 
winter,  I  couldn't  help  feeling  a  most  pharisaical  pleasure 
m  knowing  that  I  wasn't  condemned  to  live  in  this  bleak 
little  town. 

When  I  knocked  at  the  door,  mother  came  to  see  who 
was  there.  She  knew  me  at  once,  but  she  looked  at  me 
slowly,  in  the  questioning  way  I  remembered  so  well, 
before  she  said :  — 

"  Well,  Van  !     You've  come  back  ?  » 

"  Yes,  mother,  and  brought  with  me  the  best  crirf  in 
the  world." 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  you  both,"  she  said  quietly. 
124 


MARRIAGE  125 

"  And  how's  father  ?  "  I  asked  nervously. 

"  Your  father  died  nearly  three  years  ago.  We  didn't 
know  where  to  send  word  to  you." 

There  was  no  reproach  in  her  voice ;  it  was  as  if  she 
expected  nothing  of  me.  We  went  into  the  house  and 
sat  down,  and  began  to  talk.  It  was  solemn  and  painful 
all  around,  and  if  it  hadn't  been  for  Sarah  I  should  have 
been  taking  an  early  train  for  Chicago.  But  she  was 
sunny  and  light-hearted,  and  seemed  to  take  pleasure  in 
being  there.  While  -«\y-.e  were  sitting  in  the  front  room 
talking  to  mother,  va  young  woman  came  in  with  two 
small  children  hiding  in  her  skirts. 

"  Your  brother  Will's  wife,"  mother  explained  quickly. 

"Why,  May!"  I  exclaimed,  a  little  embarrassed,  "I 
didn't  exactly  look  for  this.     Will  didn't  let  me  know  - 
I  —  " 

"  We  wanted  to  write  you,  but  we  didn't  know  where 
you  were.  I  am  very  glad  to  see  you,  Van,"  May  said 
quietly,  a  little  smile  curving  up  from  her  lips  in  a  way 
that  reminded  me  of  the  girl  I  once  loved.  She  took 
both  Sarah's  hands  and  looked  straight  into  her  eyes. 

"  And  this  is  your  wife,  Van  ?  " 

"Not  quite,  yet." 

Of  course  I  had  told  Sarah  all  about  May,  and  I 
thought  she  might  be  cold  to  her,  meeting  her  in  this 
way  of  a  sudden  as  Will's  wife.  She  always  said  May 
had  been  hard  that  time  before  —  had  been  too  keen 
about  her  good  principles  to  be  a  real  woman.  Yet,  as 
they  stood  there  looking  into  each  other's  eyes,  I  could 
see  that  they  would  come  together  very  soon.  Sarah 


f? 


I  could  see  that  they  would  come  together  very  soon. 
126 


MARRIAGE  127 

smiled  as  if  to  say :  "  It's  all  right,  my  dear  !  You  see, 
I  am  glad  you  turned  him  away  that  time.  We  have  no 
reason  to  quarrel,  have  we  ?  " 

May  began  to  blush  under  that  smile,  as  though  she 
knew  what  was  in  Sarah's  mind.  Then  mother  brought 
up  May's  two  little  boys,  who  wrent  to  Sarah  at  once. 
Will  was  away  somewhere  and  didn't  come  home  until 
supper.  I  thought  he  looked  pretty  old  for  his  age. 
Perhaps  business  was  poor  in  Jasonville.  The  country 
ages  a  man  fast  when  things  go  hard  with  him.  At  first 
he  was  stiftish  to  me,  taken  aback  by  our  unexpected 
visit,  but  pretty  soon  he  thawed  to  Sarah,  who  talked 
with  him  about  his  boys. 

After  dinner  Will  and  I  went  to  the  barn  and  had  a  long 
smoke.  He  told  me  that  the  judge  had  pressed  father 
pretty  hard  before  he  died,  and  after  his  death  there 
wasn't  much  saved  but  the  store,  and  that  was  mort 
gaged.  And  the  business  didn't  amount  to  anything,  / 
according  to  Will.  The  mail-order  business  had  cut  into 
the  country  trade  pretty  badly  by  that  time,  and  country 
people  had  begun  more  and  more  to  go  to  the  city  to  buy 
their  goods.  Moreover,  time  had  shown  that  Jasonville 
lay  to  one  side  of  the  main  lines  of  traffic.  In  short, 
Will  had  to  scrape  the  barrel  to  get  a  living  out  of  the 
old  store. 

He  asked  how  it  had  been  with  me,  and  it  gave  me 
considerable  pride  to  tell  him  what  I  had  been  doing.  I 
told  him  about  the  packing  business,  my  sausage  fac 
tory,  the  deal  with  Strauss.  He  opened  his  eyes  as  he 
smoked  my  good  cigar. 


128       11  IK    MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN   CITIZEN 

«  So  you  struck  it  rich  after  all,  Van  !  " 
There  was  something  on  his  mind,  and  after  a  time  he 
managed  to  say  :  — 

"  I  hope  you  won't  have  any  more  hard  feeling  for 
mother  and  me.  We  all  treated  you  pretty  harsh  that 
time  ;  we  never  gave  you  credit  for  what  you  had  in  you, 
Van." 

"  I  guess  it  would  have  taken  a  prophet  to  see  I  had 
anything  in  me  more  than  foolishness,"  I  laughed. 
"Anyhow,  it  was  the  best  thing  that  ever  happened  to 
me,  Will,  and  I  can't  be  too  thankful  that  you  folks  in 
Jasonville  threw  me  out." 

"  Yes,  Jasonville  ain't  just  the  place  for  an  ambitious 
man,"  he  sighed.  "  And,  Van,—  about  May,  —  it  wasn't 
hardly  fair.  She  cared  most  for  you,  then,  at  any  rate; 
she  wouldn't  marry  me,  not  for  five  years." 

"  Don't  say  another  word,  Will.  May  will  make  the 
best  sort  of  sister.  She's  the  right  kind." 

So  that  was  the  way  we  made  it  up  as  two  brothers 
should.  And  the  next  morning,  after  doing  some  think 
ing  over  night  about  how  I  could  best  help  my  brother 
and  May,  I  followed  Will  over  to  the  store.  On  the  way 
I  met  the  old  judge,  looking  hardly  a  day  older  than 
when  I  saw  him  last.  He  eyed  me  hard,  as  if  he  didn't 
know  me  from  the  last  tramp,  but  I  stopped  him  and 
greeted  him. 

"  So  you're  loose  once  more,"  he  grinned.  "  I  see  they 
shut  you  up  as  soon  as  you  struck  Chicago."  He  had  a 
good  time  laughing  at  his  little  joke. 

"  Yes,"  I  replied,  "  I  am  out  once  more,  judge.     And, 


MARRIAGE  129 

from  what  I  hear,  the  Harringtons  have  been  paying  you 
pretty 'well  for  all  the  green  peaches  I  ever  took  off  your 
place." 

He  mumbled  something,  but  I  turned  on  my  heel, 
rather  proud  of  myself  if  the  truth  be  told,  being  well 
dressed,  with  an  air  of  city  prosperity. 

Will  was  in  the  bit  of  an  office  behind  the  store.  The 
old  place  was  as  mussy  and  dirty  as  ever,  with  fat  files 
of  dusty  old  letters  and  accounts.  The  old  desk  where 
father  used  to  make  up  his  bills  was  littered  with  last 
year's  mail.  It  was  Sunday,  and  the  musty  smell  of  the 
closed  store  came  in  through  the  door.  It  all  gave  me  the 
forlornest  feeling  I  had  had  in  years. 

"  This  will  never  pay,  Will,"  I  said  to  my  brother,  who 
was  turning  the  leaves  of  a  worm-eaten  day-book.  "  The 
time  when  the  small  business  would  pay  a  man  anything 
worth  while  is  pretty  nearly  over  for  good." 

"  I  suppose  so,"  he  replied  despondently.  "  But  some 
how  we  must  get  a  living  out  of  it." 

"  Let  the  judge  have  it,  if  he'll  take  it.  I  can  find  you 
something  better." 

There  was  a  place  in  Dround's  that  WTill  might  work 
into ;  and  before  long  he  could  be  of  use  to  me  in  a 
scheme  that  was  coming  around  the  corner  of  my  rnind 
into  sight.  As  I  talked,  Will's  eyes  brightened.  Before 
we  left  the  little  office  a  new  kind  of  look,  the  look  of 
hope,  had  come  over  his  face.  I  thought  he  seemed 
already  some  years  younger.  It  takes  the  steps  of  a 
treadmill,  downward  faced,  to  crush  the  spirit  in  a 
man  ! 

K 


130      THE   MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

That  was  a  happy  morning.  Surely,  one  of  the  joys  of 
success  is  to  give  it  away  to  the  right  ones.  I  remem 
ber  a  good  many  times  in  my  life  that  1  have  had  the 
pleasure  of  seeing  that  same  look  of  hope,  of  a  new  spirit, 
come  into  a  man's  face,  when  I  gave  him  his  chance  where 
he  was  least  expecting  it. 

"  But,  Will,  mind  you,  if  you  come  to  the  city  you'll  no 
longer  be  your  own  man,"  I  cautioned  him.  "Uround'll 
own  you,  or  I  shall.  No  doing  what  you  want!  To 
work  with  me  is  to  work  under  me.  Can  you  stand 
taking  orders  from  your  junior?" 

"  I  guess,  Van,"  he  answered  without  any  pride,  "  you 
have  shown  yourself  to  be  the  boss.  I'll  follow." 

That  night,  when  Will  and  May  had  left  us  at  the 
junction  where  we  were  to  take  the  Chicago  train,  Sarah 
brushed  my  arm  with  her  cheek  in  a  little  intimate, way 
she  had  and  whispered  :  —  k 

"  May  couldn't  thank  you.  She  feels  it  too  much. 
You  have  made  them  so  happy  —  there's  a  future  now 
for  them  all.  And  I  think,  maybe,  I  can  make  you  as 
good  a  wife  as  she  could —perhaps  better,  some  ways. 
May  said  so !  Though  May  is  a  very  nice  woman,  and  I 
shall  always  love  her." 

"  I  guess  you  are  both  right,"  I  replied,  too  happy  to 
say  much  more. 

A  few  weeks  later  and  we  were  married.  The  Drounds 
gave  us  a  pretty  little  wedding  breakfast,  to  which  ruim- 
the  few  friends  I  had  in  thejwsild  and  a  few  of  the  many 
Sarah  had.  If  Mrs.  Dround  was  a  careless  hostess 


MARRIAGE  131 

sometimes,  that  was  not  the  day.  She  was  specially 
gracious  to  Will  and  May,  who  were  'most  strangers.  It 
was  all  just  as  it  should  be,  and  I  felt  proud  of  myself  to 
be  there  and  to  have  this  handsome,  high-bred  woman  for 
my  wife. 

It  was  Sarah's  idea  that  all  the  others  should  leave  the 
house  first,  and  that  then  we  should  slip  away  quietly  to 
the  train  by  ourselves.  So  at  the  last,  while  I  was  wait 
ing  for  my  bride  to  come  downstairs,  Mrs.  Dround  and  I 
happened  to  be  alone.  She  looked  pale  and  worn,  as  if 
the  people  had  tired  her.  She  ordered  the  servants  to 
take  away  the  great  bunches  of  roses  that  filled  every 
nook  in  the  room. 

"  They  are  too  sweet,"  she  explained.     "  I  like  them  — 
but  in  the  next  room." 

Her  fastidiousness  surprised  me,  and,  as  always,  I  be 
gan  to  wonder  about  her.  Suddenly  she  leaned  forward 
and  spoke  swiftly,  intently  :  — 

"  I  hope  you  and  Sarah  will  be  happy  together  —  really 
happy ! " 

It  was  an  ordinary  kind  of  thing  to  say,  but  be 
neath  the  plain  words  there  seemed  to  lie  something 
personal. 

"We  shall  be  happy,  of  course!"  I  answered  lightly. 
"  There's  nothing  against  it  in  sight." 

"  Ah,  my  friend,  you  can't  count  that  way  !  Happi 
ness  is  hard  to  get  in  this  world,  and  you  pass  it  by 
at  odd  corners  and  never  know  it."  She  smiled  a  little 
sadly,  and  then  added  in  a  more  ordinary  tone :  "  Sarah 
tells  me  that  you  are  to  be  away  only  a  few  days.  Does 


132      THE   MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

business  tempt  you  so  much  that  you  can't  resist  it 
even  now  ?  " 

"  Well,  I  expect  to  love  Sarah  just  as  much  when  I  get 
back  to  work.  Business  is  a  man's  place,  as  the  house  is 
a  woman's.  Take  either  out  of  their  places  for  long,  and 
something  is  likely  to  go  wrong  with  them." 

She  laughed  at  my  satisfied  wisdom. 

"  Are  you  so  needed  over  there  in  the  office  ?  " 

"  You  must  ask  your  husband  that." 

"  He  says  that  you  are  the  cleverest  man  they  have  had 
for  years.  Does  that  make  you  proud  ?  " 

"  Thank  you  !  " 

"  Will  you  let  the  big  dog  Strauss  eat  us  ? "  she 
laughed  on. 

"  I'll  tell  you  a  few  years  later,  madam." 

"Yes,"  she  mused,  "you  are  right.  A  man,  a  strong 
man  —  and  that's  the  only  kind  that  is  a  man  —  must  be 
at  work.  The  sweetest  love  can't  keep  him  long." 

Here  Sarah's  voice  reached  us  :  — 

"  You  mustn't  distract  him  to-day  of  all  days,  Jane  !  " 

"He  can't  be  distracted  long,  my  child  —  by  any 
body  ! " 

We  had  taken  a  pleasant  house  on  one  of  the  broad 
avenues  to  the  south  beyond  the  smoke  bank,  with  a  bit 
of  a  garden  and  a  few  trees.  When  we  got  back  from 
New  York  we  found  supper  waiting  for  us,  roses  on  the 
table,  a  bottle  of  wine  ready  to  open,  and  on  the  side 
board  a  box  of  cigars. 

"The    hand    of    Jane!"    remarked   my   wife,   as   she 


MARRIAGE  133 

rearranged  the  flowers  and  put  the  roses  on  the  mantel 
piece. 

"  The  hand  of  Jane  ?  "  I  repeated  dully.     "  You  mean 
Mrs.  Drounddiditall?" 

"  Yes,  of  course ;  it  reaches  everywhere." 

And  Sarah  did  not  look  as  much  pleased  as  I  expected. 


CHAPTER   XII 

AN    HONORABLE    MERCHANT 

Mr.  Dround1  s  little  weakness  —  An  unpleasant  occurrence —  To  the 
best  of  one's  knowledge — "Kissing  goes  by  favor,"  and  other 
things — Switch-tracks  and  rebates — Carmichael  talks — An 
item  of  charity —  Our  manager  goes  over  to  the  enemy — /  am 
offered  his  place  —  A  little  talk  on  the  moral  side  —  The  dilemma 
of  the  righteous —  What  is,  is  good  enough  for  me 

"MR.  DROUND  seems  to  be  doing  a  good  deal  of  talking 
for  the  benefit  of  his  neighbors,"  Slocum  observed  one 
day  when  I  was  in  his  office. 

"  Oh,  he  likes  the  job  of  making  the  country  over !  It 
suits  him  to  talk  more  than  to  sell  pork." 

"  Did  you  see  what  he  said  last  night  ?  "  Slocum  con 
tinued. 

"  No,  what  was  it  ?  Free  trade  or  college  education  ?  " 
For  Mr.  Henry  I.  Dround  was  long  on  both  subjects.  He 
had  always  fooled  more  or  less  with  politics,  having  come 
out  as  a  nlugwump  and  free-trader  under  Cleveland. 
That  kind  of  doctrine  wasn't  much  in  favor  among  the 
business  men  of  Chicago,  but  Dround  liked  being  in  the 
minority.  He  was  an  easy,  scholarly  speaker,  and  was 
always  ready  to  talk  at  dinners  and  public  meetings. 
"  It  seems  to  me  I  saw  something  in  the  papers  of  his 
speaking  at  the  Jefferson.  Club  banquet,"  I  went  on ;  "  but 

134 


AN    HONORABLE   MERCHANT  135 

I  didn't  pay  any  attention  to  it.  The  old  man  is  rather 
long  on  wind." 

"  The  papers  missed  most  of  the  ginger.  But  I  was 
there,  and  it  was  lively.  Jimmy  Birdsell,  Hart's  man, 
was  there,  too.  It  was  this  new  Civil  Service  Bill  that 
the  silk  stockings  are  trying  to  push  through  the  legis 
lature.  Of  course,  Hart  and  the  machine  are  fighting 
it  like  fire.  Well,  your  boss  made  the  chief  speech,  a 
good  little  talk,  about  purity  and  business  methods  in 
government  and  the  rest  of  it.  Birdsell  sat  just  across 
the  table  from  me,  and  I  could  see  from  the  way  he 
knocked  his  glasses  about  that  he  was  getting  hot.  Maybe 
he  came  there  for  a  fight.  At  last  he  boiled  over. 

" '  Say,  Mr.  Dround,'  he  sang  out  in  a  pause  between 
two  periods,  'how  about  your  new  switch-track  over  in 
Ada  Street?' 

"  Dround  looked  toward  him  over  his  glasses  for  a 
moment,  as  though  he  hadn't  heard  what  was  said,  and 
then  he  went  ahead  with  his  talk.  But  Birdsell  was 
some  drunk  and  too  mad  to  care  what  he  did.  The  men 
beside  him  couldn't  keep  him  quiet.  '  I  say,  Dround,'  he 
broke  out  again  pretty  soon,  f  we  should  like  to  hear  what 
your  firm  does  when  it  wants  any  little  favors  from  the 
city  ?  That  might  be  to  the  point  just  now  ! ' 

"This  time  Dround  couldn't  pass  it  over.  He  took  a 
drink  of  water  and  his  hand  shook.  Then  he  said:  'I 
do  not  see  that  this  is  the  proper  time  to  introduce  a  per 
sonal  matter,  but  since  the  gentleman  seems  concerned 
about  my  business  honor,  I  am  glad  to  set  his  mind  at 
rest.  To  the  best  of  my  knowledge,  Henry  I.  Dround  &  Co. 


136      THE   MEMOIRS   OF   AN   AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

have  never  asked  and  never  accepted  any  favors  from  the 
city.  Is  that  satisfactory  ? ' 

"'Come,  now,  Mr.  Dround,'  Birdsell  sneered,  'that 
isn't  generally  believed,  you  know.' 

"  '  I  said,'  your  boss  ripped  back, l  to  the  best  of  my  knowl 
edge,  your  insinuation  is  a  lie ! '  He  leaned  forward  and 
glared  at  Birdsell.  Well,  there  was  a  kind  of  awkward 
pause,  everybody  waiting  to  see  what  would  come  next ; 
and  then  Birdsell,  who  must  have  been  pretty  drunk, 
called  back:  'Ask  your  man  John  Carmichael  what  he 
does  when  he  wants  anything  from  the  city.  Ask  him 
about  your  rebates,  too.  Then  the  next  time  you  come 
here  telling  us  how  to  be  good,  you'll  know  more.'  There 
was  a  cat-and-dog  time  after  that,  some  yelling  to  put 
Birdsell  out,  and  others  laughing  and  clapping." 

Slocum  paused,  and  then  added :  — 

"  It  put  Mr.  Droilnd  in  a  tight  place." 

"What  of  it,  anyhow  ?  "  said  I.  "  Birdsell  is  nothing 
but  a  yellow  dog.  Hart  keeps  him  to  lick  his  platters. 
Every  one  knows  that." 

"  Yes,  that's  so.  But  he  said  what  most  every  one 
believes  is  true." 

"  That  kissing  goes  by  favor,  and  most  other  things  in 
this  world,  too.  Well,  what  of  it  ?  " 

Slocum  leaned  back  in  his  chair  and  laughed.  Then 
he  said  to  me  seriously  :  — 

"  You  aren't  much  troubled  with  scruples,  Van  ! " 

"  Come,  what's  the  use  of  talking  good  ?  You  and  1 
know  well  enough  that  there  isn't  any  other  way  of  doing 
business,  not  in  any  city  in  the  country.  You  have  got 


AN   HONORABLE   MERCHANT 


137 


to  pay  for  what  you  get,  the  same  as  elsewhere.     Dround 
ought  to  know  it,  too,  by  this  time,  and  not  go  'round 


"  You  aretft  much  troubled  with  scruples.   Van!'1'1 

preaching   loose  —  or   else   get   out   of    business,   which 
might  be  better  !  " 

"  I  suppose  so,"  Slocum  replied  solemnly.  "  But  I  al 
ways  liked  his  sermons.  Perhaps  you  and  Carmichael 
could  tone  him  down  a  bit  just  now." 


138      THE   MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

"  Oh,  John  don't  mind  his  speeches,  so  long  as  he  don't 
interfere  with  the  business !  " 

We  went  out  to  lunch,  and  talked  of  other  matters,  and 
for  several  days  I  thought  no  more  of  the  incident  that 
Slocum  had  related.  The  switch-track  business  did  not 
seem  to  me  important.  If  the  reformers  wanted  to  get 
after  us,  or  any  other  big  firm,  there  were  many  more 
/vulnerable  points  than  that.  Special  privileges  from  the 
x  city  we  regarded  as  our  rights.  Hut  there  was  the  graft 
of  railroad  rates.  Any  fool  could  tell  that,  at  the  pub 
lished  tariff  rates,  there  would  be  little  business  for  the 
packers  outside  of  Chicago.  It  was  common  knowledge 
that  the  trade  was  honeycombed  with  private  agreements 
and  rebate  privileges,  and  that  the  fiercest  part  of  the 
business  was  to  get  the  right  rate  from  the  roads.  Then 
there  were  the  secret  agreements  between  the  packers, 
which  were  all  illegal,  but  necessary  to  keep  the  trade 
from  cutting  prices  all  the  time. 

Carmichael  attended  to  this  end  of  the  business  for 
Dround,  as  he  did  of  everything  of  real  importance.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  firm  now,  and  the  wonder  to  me  was 
that  this  smart  Irishman  could  put  up  with  Dround.  It 
could  hardly  be  a  matter  of  sentiment  with  him.  I  had 
a  warm  feeling  for  the  illiterate  junior  member,  with  a 
temper  about  an  inch  long,  but  a  big,  round  heart  open 
to  any  friend.  He  had  bucked  his  way  up  in  the  world 
by  main  force,  and  I  admired  him.  Besides,  he  had 
taught  me  how  to  eat,  so  to  speak.  In  a  word,  I  liked 
his  way  of  doing  things  better  than  Mr.  Dround's  college 
talk. 


AN    HONORABLE   MERCHANT  139 

Well,  it  happened  that  the  cur  Birdsell  set  some  of  the 
civil  service  reformers  on  the  tracks  of  Brother  Dround, 
and  they  got  a  smart  newspaper  reporter  to  work  over  the 
whole  matter.  There  was  a  lively  write-up  in  one  of  the 
papers,  all  about  our  switch-track  over  in  Ada  Street,  with 
photographs  and  figures,  and  a  lot  more  about  the  way 
the  packers  did  business  with  the  city.  When  I  read  the 
piece  in  the  paper  I  took  the  trouble  to  pass  by  our  new 
warehouse  on  my  way  to  the  office.  The  trackage  was  in, 
sure  enough.  Carmichael  was  just  the  man  to  have  a 
thing  done  and  settled  by  the  time  the  public  got  around 
to  talk  about  it ! 

Mr.  Dround  was  in  his  office  bright  and  early  this  morn 
ing,  and  sent  for  me. 

"  Harrington,"  he  began,  "  what  do  you  know  about  this 
talk  in  the  papers  ?  " 

Mr.  Dround  seemed  very  nervous,  not  sure  of  himself. 

"  Why,"  I  smiled,  "  I  don't  know  much  more  than 
what  the  papers  said.  Mr.  Carmichael,  you  know  - 

"  Yes,"  Mr.  Dround  interrupted  impatiently,  "  Mr.  Car 
michael  is  in  New  York,  gets  back  this  morning ;  but  I 
thought  you  might  —  "  He  hesitated,  not  wishing  to  ad 
mit  his  own  ignorance.  "  I  will  send  for  you  later  when 
Mr.  Carmichael  comes  in,"  he  concluded. 

So  when  John  arrived  he  had  us  both  in  his  office. 

"  You  want  to  see  me  ?  "  Carmichael  asked  gruffly,  as 
if  he  hadn't  much  time  that  morning  to  waste  on  the 
senior  member. 

"  Yes,  I  wish  to  talk  over  certain  matters  that  concern 
US  all,  even  though  they  may  have  no  immediate  bearing 


140      THE    MEMOIRS   OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

upon  the  business."  Mr.  Dround  always  talked  like  that 
when  he  got  the  least  nervous. 

"Well,  what  is  it?"  Carmichael  asked.  He  had  just 
arrived,  and  I  suppose  his  letters  interested  him  more 
than  Mr.  Ground's  talk. 

"  You  may  not  have  seen  the  articles  in  the  morning 
papers  —  about  —  about  certain  privileges  which  it  is 
alleged  —  " 

"  What  are  the  boys  yapping  about  now?"  Carmichael 
demanded,  taking  up  a  newspaper  from  the  desk  and 
thrusting  his  shoulders  forward  in  an  ugly  fashion. 

"  It  concerns  our  permit  to  lay  that  new  switch-track," 
Mr.  Dround  explained. 

Carmichael  laid  the  paper  down  and  looked  at  the 
senior  member  in  a  curious  way,  as  if  he  were  trying  to 
make  out  just  what  kind  of  a  fool  he  had  to  deal  with. 
But  as  he  said  nothing,  Mr.  Dround  continued :  — 

"  Recently  I  had  occasion  to  deny  categorically  that, 
so  far  as  I  knew,  our  firm  ever  made  any  such  kind  of 
arrangement  as  is  here  described.  My  word  was  chal 
lenged.  It  was  a  very  painful  situation,  I  need  not  say. 
Since  then  I  have  been  thinking  —  I  have  been  wonder 
ing  whether  this  charge  —  " 

He  floundered  pitifully,  disliking  to  mouth  the  dread 
ful  words.  John  helped  him  out  brutally:  — 

"  You  wonder  whether  we  had  to  grease  anybody's 
paw  about  that  switch-track  over  in  Ada  Street  ? " 

Dround  nodded.     "  The  papers  say  so  !  " 

"They  have  to  print  something,  don't  they?  What 
harm  does  that  do  us?  I  wouldn't  trust  the  whole 


AN  HONORABLE  MERCHANT         141 

d n  bunch  of  papers  with  a  ten-dollar  bill.  They're 

a  lot  of  blackmailers  —  that's  what  they  are  !  " 

John  bit  off  the  end  of  a  cigar  and  spat  it  out  in  front 
of  Mr.  Dround. 

"  We  are  not  concerned  with  the  newspapers  or  their 
motives,  Mr.  Carmichael,"  the  senior  member  observed 
with  considerable  dignity.  "  What  I  want  is  your  assur 
ance  that  this  firm  —  that,  so  far  as  we  are  concerned, 
this  accusation  is  false." 

We  waited  for  the  Irishman's  reply.  It  would  be  an 
easy  matter  to  tell  a  fib  and  set  Mr.  Dround' s  mind  at 
rest.  But  Carmichael  seemed  to  be  in  a  specially  bad 
temper  this  morning.  When  he  went  to  New  York  he 
was  accustomed  to  enjoy  himself,  and  it  was  not  the 
right  time  to  badger  a  man  just  off  the  cars.  Pretty  soon 
John  said  fiercely :  — 

"  It's  my  business  to  look  after  such  matters  ?  " 

Mr.  Dround  nodded. 

"  Don't  I  do  it  satisfactorily  ?  " 

Mr.  Dround  waived  this  point. 

"Well,  I  guess  you'll  have  to  be  content  with  that." 

"  Mr.  Carmichael,"  the  senior  member  leaped  to  his 
feet,  "  you  forget  yourself  !  You  will  be  good  enough  to 
answer  me  yes  or  no,  to  my  direct  question.  Did  you  or 
did  you  not  pay  money  for  this  privilege?" 

Carmichael's  voice  shook  as  he  replied :  — 

"  See  here,  Dround  !  If  you  don't  know  your  own 
business  enough  to  know  the  answer,  I  don't  see  why  I 
should  tell  you."  His  temper  was  going  with  every 
word  he  said.  "  But  if  you  want  to  know,  you  shall ! 


14-2       THK    MKMOIKS    OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

There  hasn't  been  such  a  thing  as  a  private  switch-track 
put  down  in  this  city  since  you  began  doing  business  for 
less  than  seven  thousand  dollars.  I  paid  the  right  people 


"  I  paid  the  right  people  ninety-flvr  hundred  dollars.     Noio  what 
are  you  yoiny  to  do  about  it  ?" 

ninety-five  hundred  dollars  for  ours.     There,  you've  got 
it !     Now  what  are  you  going  to  do  about  it  ?  " 

The  big  Irishman  plumped  his  two  red  fists  on  Mr. 
Dround's  desk  and  glared  at  him.  At  that  moment  T 
pitied  the  old  gentleman  heartily  ;  he  was  never  born  to 
do  business,  at  least  in  our  day.  He  seemed  to  shrivel 
up  under  Carmichael's  words. 


AN  HONORABLE  MERCHANT         143 

"  How,  may  I  ask,"  he  said  at  last  in  a  low  tone,  "  was 
this  done  without  my  knowledge  ?  How  does  it  appear 
on  the  books  ?  " 

Carmichael  laughed  at  the  simple  question. 

"  Charity  !     We  are  a  very  charitable  concern  !  " 

Mr.  Dround's  lips  trembled,  and  he  cried  out  rather 
than  spoke :  — 

"  No,  never  !  Better  to  fail !  Better  to  go  bankrupt 
at  once  ! " 

He  was  talking  to  himself.  Then  he  recollected  us 
and  said  with  dignity :  — 

"  That  is  all,  Mr.  Carmichael.  After  this  I  shall 
attend  to  all  such  matters  myself.  Good  morning, 
gentlemen." 

He  sat  down  at  his  desk,  dismissing  us.  Carmichael 
was  shaking  with  anger. 

"  No  !  "  he  cried,  "  it  isn't  all !  Turn  me  out  of  your 
office  like  a  boy,  with  my  orders,  when  it's  me  that 
have  stood  between  you  and  ruin  any  day  these  ten 
years !  What  would  your  business  be  worth  if  it  weren't 
for  John  Carmichael?  Ask  Harrington  here.  Go  out 
and  ask  your  bank  — 

"  I  don't  believe  we  need  to  discuss  this  any  further  - 
Mr.  Dround  began. 

"  Yes,  we  will !  Get  somebody  else  to  do  your  dirty 
business  for  you.  For,  let  me  tell  you  right  here,  Henry 
I.  Dround,  that  I  don't  go  broke  with  you,  not  for  all 
your  college  talk  and  prin-ci-ples." 

Mr.  Dround  pointed  to  the  door.  He  was  trembling 
again.  I  took  the  big  Irishman  by  the  arm  and  led  him 


144      THE   MKMOIKS    OF   AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

from  the  office.  Outside  the  door  he  shook  me  off,  and 
hurled  himself  into  his  own  office. 

That  was  the  first  wind  of  the  storm,  and  the  rest 
wasn't  long  in  coming.  Somebody  told  me  that  Car- 
michael  had  been  seen  with  one  of  Strauss's  lieutenants 
going  into  a  law  office  that  did  some  of  the  big  packer's 
work.  It  looked  as  though  he  were  making  a  deal  with 
the  Strauss  crowd.  It  seemed  natural  enough  to  me  that 
Carmichael  should  do  this,  but  I  was  sorry  for  what  must 
come.  Meantime,  Mr.  Dround  was  more  assiduous  at 
business  than  I  had  ever  known  him  to  be.  He  came 
early,  and  instead  of  driving  over  to  his  club  for  luncheon 
took  a  bite  in  his  office,  and  put  in  the  afternoons  going 
into  all  departments  of  the  business. 

In  the  end,  the  trouble  came  to  a  head  in  this  way :  in 
company  with  every  large  shipper  at  that  period  we 
made  our  bargain  with  the  roads  ;  no  large  firm  and  no 
railroad  pretended  to  live  up  to  the  law  in  the  matter 
of  rates.  The  roads  sold  their  transportation,  as  we 
sold  ribs  and  lard  —  for  the  highest  figure  they  could 
get.  Before  any  considerable  contract  was  entered  into 
the  thrifty  shipper  saw  to  his  rate  in  advance.  And 
some  time  later  there  came  along  from  the  railroad  that 
got  the  business  a  check  in  the  way  of  "adjustment." 
The  senior  member,  in  his  new  energy,  discovered  one 
of  these  rebates.  He  sent  it  back  to  the  traffic  manager 
of  the  road  with  a  letter  such  as  the  roads  were  not  in 
the  habit  of  getting  from  their  favored  shippers.  The 
second  vice-president  and  general  traffic  manager  of  that 
line  attended  the  same  church  the  Drounds  went  to,  and 


AN    HONORABLE   MERCHANT  145 

the  president  of  the  road,  also,  was  one  of  Dround's 
friends.  I  wonder  what  they  thought  when  their  atten 
tion  was  called  to  this  little  matter  ! 

Carmichael  told  me  what  had  happened  with  a  wicked 
grin  on  his  face. 

"  Kighteous  man,  Henry  I.  Dround,  all  right !    D n 

good  business  man,  too,"  he  commented.  "  What  do  you 
think  is  going  to  happen  to  this  concern  ?  He's  chucked 
away  the  profits  of  that  contract !  " 

"  You  aren't  planning  to  stay,  John  ?  "  I  remarked 
casually. 

He  looked  at  me  and  laughed. 

"  Do  you  want  to  come  with  me  when  I  get  out  ?  " 

I  smiled,  but  said  nothing.  There  was  no  open  row 
between  Mr.  Dround  and  the  junior  member  of  the  firm 
this  time.  But  a  few  weeks  later  Mr.  Dround  told  me 
what  I  already  knew  —  that  he  and  Carmichael  were 
about  to  part.  I  advised  him  bluntly  to  make  it  up  with 
the  Irishman  if  he  could,  —  not  to  part  with  him  at  any 
cost. 

"  For,  Mr.  Dround,  you  will  find  him  fighting  on  the 
other  side ;  Strauss  will  have  him." 

He  knew  as  well  as  I  what  that  meant  to  his  business, 
but  he  said  with  new  determination  :  — 

"  Mr.  Carmichael  and  I  can  never  do  business  together 
again." 

Then  he  offered  to  take  me  into  partnership  on  the 
same  basis  that  Carmichael  had.  I  suppose  he  expected 
me  to  jump  at  my  chance,  but  the  prospect  was  not 
altogether  inviting. 


14(5      THK    MEMOIRS   OF    AN    AMERICAN   CITIZKN 

"  I  ought  to  say,  Mr.  Dround,"  I  replied  hesitatingly, 
"  that  I  think  Carmichael  was  right  in  this  rebate  busi 
ness,  and  in  the  other  matter,  too.  If  I  had  been  in  his 
place  I  should  have  done  the  same  thing  —  any  man 
would.  It's  against  human  nature  to  sit  still  and  be 
eaten  alive  ! " 

Mr.  Dround's  eyes  lowered,  and  he  turned  his  face 
away  from  me.  His  spirit  was  somewhat  daunted :  per 
haps  he  began  to  realize  what  it  meant  to  stand  out 
alone  against  the  commercial  system  of  the  age.  Never 
theless,  he  said  some  things,  perfectly  true,  about  the 
honor  and  integrity  of  his  firm.  As  it  had  been  handed 
over  to  him  by  his  father,  so  he  would  keep  it,  please  God. 

"  That's  all  right,"  I  said  a  little  impatiently.  "  That 
might  do  in  times  gone  by.  But  Carmichael  and  I  have 
got  to  live  in  the  present.  That  means  a  fight.  I  would 
like  to  stay  on  and  fight  it  out  with  you.  But  I  can't  see 
the  use  on  your  basisVXLook  !  " 

I  pointed  out  of  hi/window  to  a  new  refrigerator  build 
ing  that  Strauss  was  putting  up  under  our  noses. 

"  That  is  only  one  :  you  know  the  others.  He  is  grow 
ing  every  day.  You  can't  expect  us  to  sit  here  twiddling 
our  thumbs  and  thinking  of  our  virtue  while  he  gets  the 
business !  Better  to  sell  out  to  Strauss  right  here  and 
now,  while  there  is  something  to  sell." 

"  Never ! "  Mr.  Dround  cried  with  unaccustomed  vehe 
mence.  "  Never  to  him  !  " 

"  Well,  then,  we've  got  our  work  cut  out  for  us,  and  let 
us  waste  no  more  time  talking  rebates  and  the  rest  of  it." 

"  Yet  that  horrid  scandal  about  the  switch-track,"  he 


AN    HONORABLE    MERCHANT  147 

resumed  in  his  old  weak  way.  "  Nothing  has  done  so 
much  to  hurt  my  position  in  the  city  as  that ! " 

"  But  what  are  you  going  to  do  about  it  ?  "  I  asked  in 
Carmichael's  very  words.  "  Those  thieves  over  there  in 
the  council  hold  you  up.  What  good  does  it  do  the  public 
for  you  to  refuse  their  price  ?  It's  like  paying  for  the 
right  to  put  up  a  house  on  your  own  lot  —  it's  tough,  but 
you  had  better  pay  and  not  worry." 

"  Mr.  Harrington,  I  refuse  to  believe  that  in  our  country 
an  honorable  business  cannot  be  conducted  successfully 
by  honorable  methods." 

"  That  depends  on  what  you  choose  to  call  honorable 
methods.  At  any  rate,"  I  concluded  in  disgust,  "  you  are 
likely  to  have  a  good  chance  to  try  that  proposition  to 
the  bitter  end,  unless  you  take  my  advice  and  sell  to  your 
chief  competitor." 

He  waived  this  aside  impatiently. 

"Well,  then,  look  for  the  fight  of  your  life  just  to  sur 
vive,  not  to  make  money.  I  tell  you,  Mr.  Dround,  Strauss 
is  out  there  waiting  to  eat  us  all  up.  And  you  have 
thrown  him  your  general  for  a  beginning." 

"  But  I  trust  that  I  have  another  as  good  or  better,"  he 
said  with  his  usual  nourish  of  courtesy. 

We  had  some  more  talk,  he  urging  me  to  stay  with 
him,  although  I  let  him  see  plainly  where  I  stood  on  the 
matter  of  rebates,  private  agreements,  and  all  the  rest 
of  the  underground  machinery  of  business. 

"  If  I  take  your  offer,"  I  said  at  last,  "  I  shall  use  the 
old  weapons  —  you  must  know  that.  There  are  no  morals 
in  business  that  I  recognize  except  those  that  are  written 


148      THE    MEMOIRS   OF   AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

on  the  statute  book.  It  is  dog  eat  dog,  Mr.  Droimd,  and 
I  don't  propose  to  be  the  dog  that's  eaten." 

Even  then  he  did  not  stop  urging  me,  salving  his  con 
science  by  saying :  "  It  saddens  me  to  hear  as  young  a 
man  as  you  take  that  cynical  view.  It  is  a  strange 
time  we  are  coming  to.  I  pray  it  may  not  be  a  worse 
time  for  the  country  ! " 

To  my  mind  there  was  something  childish  in  the  use  of 
those  words  "  better  "  and  "  worse."  Every  age  is  a  new 
one,  and  to  live  in  any  age  you  have  got  to  have  the 
fingers  and  toes  necessary  for  that  age.  The  forces  which 
lie  in  us  and  make  those  triumph  who  do  triumph  in  the 
struggle  have  been  in  men  from  the  beginning  of  time. 
There's  little  use  in  trying  to  stop  their  sweep,  or  to  sit 
and  cry  like  Droimd  by  the  roadside,  because  you  don't 
like  the  game.  For  my  part,  I  went  with  the  forces  that 
are,  willingly,  gladly,  believing  in  them  no  matter  how 
ugly  they  might  look.  So  history  reads  :  the  men  who 
lead  accept  the  conditions  of  their  day.  And  the  others 
follow  along  just  the  same;  while  the  world  works  and 
changes  and  makes  itself  over  according  to  its  destiny. 


CHAPTER   XIII 

THE    WILL    OF    A    WOMAX 

A  family  scene  —  Sarah's  ideas — We  dine —  Carmichael  comes 
in —  Visions  of  empire  —  Almost  persuaded —  Common  people 
—  Tlie  touch  of  mind  and  mind  —  Mr.  Dround  becomes  ill,  and 
we  miss  Big  John  ^  The  garden  by  the  lake  —  A  bit  of  old 
marble  and  other  things  —  Inspiration —  Outlining  a  campaign 
—  The  big  gamble 

AFTER  all,  it  was  the  will  of  a.  woman,  perhaps  of  two 
women,  that  settled  this  business  matter,  for  even  in 
business — in  the  groping  for  position  and  money  —  the 
woman's  share  is  large.  AVherever  a  man's  will  is  in 
play  she  brings  her  influence,  soft  and  sure  and  hidden. 

When  I  left  Mr.  Dround  that  afternoon  I  was  not 
ready  to  put  the  little  fortune  I  had  made,  and,  what  was 
more,  my  life  energy,  into  his  forlorn  enterprise.  Not  to 
hurt  his  feelings,  I  asked  for  time  to  consider  his  offer, 
and  went  home  to  tell  my  wife  about  the  change  in  our 
affairs,  considerably  puzzled  what  to  do.  We  had  just 
moved  into  a  larger  house  near  the  lake ;  the  place  had 
some  pretty  ground  around  it,  and  a  large  stable.  It  was 
all  that  our  means  warranted,  and  a  little  more.  But 
Sarah  had  a  passion  for  having  people  about,  and  there 
was  a  boy  now  to  be  considered.  The  air  was  supposed 
to  be  better  for  him  farther  away  from  the  city  smoke. 
Sarah  had  been  delicate  and  nervous  ever  since  the  child 

149 


150      THE   MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

was  born,  and  I  was  glad  to  have  her  mind  busy  with  the 
big  new  plaything. 

A  nurse  in  uniform  was  just  coming  into  the  gate  when 
I  arrived.  It  seems  that  little  Ned  had  a  cold,  and 
though  he  looked  lively  enough  when  I  went  into  his 
room,  Sarah  was  hovering  over  him  as  if  he  had  lung 
trouble. 

"  The  doctor  thought  I  should  have  a  trained  nurse," 
Sarah  explained.  "  Of  course  he  doesn't  expect  any 
serious  results,  but  one  should  take  every  precaution. 
And  Mary  is  so  careless,  and  we  have  those  people 
coming  to  dinner  to-night,  and  are  going  to  the  theatre." 

I  had  forgotten  that  we  were  to  have  guests  this  even 
ing.  While  we  were  dressing,  I  told  Sarah  about  the 
trouble  between  Dround  and  his  old  manager,  and  how 
they  had  finally  parted. 

"  That's  just  what  I  should  have  expected  from  Mr. 
Dround  !  "  my  wife  exclaimed  approvingly.  "  It  must  have 
been  annoying  for  Mr.  Dround  to  have  such  a  dishonest 
person  connected  with  him." 

"  Well,  that  is  one  way  of  looking  at  it  I  hadn't 
thought  of  !  "  I  laughed. 

"  That  Carmichael  man  is  just  an  Irish  brute !  I  sup 
pose  you  have  to  put  up  with  such  people  in  the  packing 
business,  but  I  couldn't  have  them  in  my  house." 

"  The  Carmichaels  don't  trouble  us  much,"  I  replied, 
smiling  to  myself  at  Sarah's  ideas  of  things.  "And 
John's  all  right  —  as  honest  as  most  men.  This  isn't 
just  a  case  of  stealing  somebody's  wash  from  the  back 
yard,  you  know." 


THE   WILL    OF   A    WOMAN  151 

"  But  it's  just  as  wrong !  It's  dishonest ! "  she  cried 
with  a  proud  tone  in  her  voice.  She  came  across  the 
room  and  took  hold  of  me  by  the  shoulders.  "  Van,  you 
don't  believe  in  bribing  people  and  such  things  ?  Why, 
you're  too  big  and  strong  and  handsome  "  —  she  gave  me 
a  kiss  —  "  to  do  such  common  things  ! '*' 

"Well,  I  don't  know;  it  depends  how  you  call  it.'' 

But  she  gave  me  another  kiss,  and  before  we  could 
recover  from  this  argument  there  was  a  knock  at  the 
dressing-room  door. 

"  My,  Van  !  There's  the  first  of  them,  and  I  haven't 
my  dress  hooked.  You  run  and  send  Mary  to  me !  " 
That  rather  closed  the  topic  for  the  present. 

There  were  ten  of  us  at  dinner,  and  we  tried  to  keep 
up  a  chatter  about  the  little  things  that  Sarah  had  trained 
me  to  talk  of  when  I  was  in  company  —  the  theatres  and 
the  opera,  Mrs.  Doodle's  new  place  in  the  country,  or 
old  Steele's  picture  by  the  French  painter.  But  to-night 
it  was  hard  work :  my  thoughts  would  wander  back  to 
the  Yards.  At  last  the  ladies  left  us  to  put  on  their 
wraps,  and  the  men  were  lighting  their  cigars,  when  a 
servant  told  me  that  a  man  was  waiting  in  the  hall  to 
see  me.  It  was  Carmichael. 

••  Why  didn't  you  come  right  out,  John  ?  ''  I  exclaimed. 
"  Some  of  your  friends  are  out  there." 

"  Xo,  thanks,  Van/'"  he  growled.  "  I  ain't  got  my  fancy 
clothes  on  this  trip,  and  maybe  your  wife  wouldn't  think 
me  good  enough  for  her  friends  *'  (which  was  pretty  close 
to  the  truth).  "But  I  come  to  see  you  about  something 
important." 


152      THE   MEMOIKS   OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

Sarah  rustled  into  the  hall  just  then. 

"  Van ! "  she  said,  bowing  coldly  to  John,  "  we  are  all 
waiting  for  you." 

"  Better  go,  Harrington,"  Carmichael  said  sarcastically, 
reaching  for  his  hat ;  "  business  don't  count  when  there's 
a  party  goin'  on." 

"  Oh,  it's  business  !  "  Sarah's  voice  could  carry  a  deal 
of  scorn. 

"Leave  a  ticket  for  me  and  I'll  follow  later," 
I  replied  impatiently,  leading  Carmichael  into  my 
library. 

"  Very  well,"  Sarah  answered,  and  swept  out  of  the  hall 
without  a  look  for  the  Irishman. 

Carmichael  took  a  cigar,  poured  out  a  long  drink  of 
whiskey,  and  thrust  his  ungainly  figure  into  a  chair 
before  the  fire  without  saying  a  word.  After  a  time 
he  ripped  out :  — 

"  You  aren't  thinking  of  staying  with  old  Dround  ?  " 

"  That  depends  —  "  I  began. 

"Dround'll  go  broke  inside  of  two  years,"  he  inter 
rupted  savagely.  "His  credit  ain't  much  to  boast  of 
now,  and  when  it  gets  around  that  I  have  drawn  out, 
it  won't  improve." 

"  That's  true  enough,"  I  admitted. 

"  The  London  and  Chicago  Company  is  going  into  the 
hands  of  receivers  this  week,"  he  went  on  confidentially. 
"  That  was  another  of  your  tony  houses  managed  from 
England!  Strauss'll  most  likely  get  their  plants  at 
twenty  cents  on  the  dollar,  and  he'll  get  Dround  when 
the  time  comes." 


THE    WILL   OF   A   WOMAN  153 

I  made  no  remark,  and  after  smoking  for  a  time  he 
leaned  over  toward  me,  saying  impressively  :  — 

"  Young  feller,  do  you  reckon  you  can  buck  up  against 
me  and  the  Strauss  crowd  with  that  one-horse  rig  ?  " 

It  seemed  to  me  highly  improbable  that  any  man  could 
perform  this  feat,  but  I  held  my  tongue.  Carmicliael 


"  Young  feller,  do  you  reckon  you  can  buck  up  against  me  and 
the  Strauss  crowd  with  that  one-horse  rig  ?" 

should  make  his  bid  in  his  own  way.  Finally  he  whis 
pered  almost  solemnly :  — 

"  Want  to  make  big  money  ?  " 

And  he  began  to  bid,  lowering  his  loud  voice  and  beating 
the  arm  of  his  chair  to  clinch  his  argument.  He  spoke 
of  the  great  revolution  throughout  the  business  world, 
coming  consolidations,  far-reaching  plans  that  the  Strauss 
people  had  had  in  mind  for  a  long  time,  the  control  of 


154       THE    MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

railroads  and  steamship  lines  —  all  leading  to  one  con 
clusion,  one  end  —  the  complete  mastery  of  food  products 
by  Strauss  and  his  allies. 

We  had  in  more  whiskey  and  cigars  for  the  Irishman, 
who  had  a  head  like  a  rock.  As  he  drank  and  talked, 
his  brain  was  fired  by  a  kind  of  rude  imagination  for  the 
vast  reach  of  what  he  saw.  He  opened  himself  to  me 
without  reserve,  as  if  he  already  held  me  in  his  hand. 
The  hours  sped  by ;  a  carriage  drove  up  to  the  house,  and 
I  knew  that  Sarah  had  returned  from  the  theatre.  But 
Carmichael  talked  on.  Through  his  words  I  could  see 
those  vast  industrial  forces  that  had  been  shaping  them 
selves  for  ages  now  fast  rushing  on  toward  their  fulfil 
ment.  Ever  since  my  head  had  been  above  the  horizon, 
so  to  speak,  I  had  seen  straws  borne  on  this  wind.  But 
now  the  mighty  change  was  imminent;  those  who  sur 
vived  another  decade  would  look  out  upon  a  very  different 
world  from  that  we  had  grown  up  with.  That  is  what 
Carmichael  and  I  saw  that  night,  and  when  the  door 
finally  closed  on  my  visitor  I  felt  that  it  was  settled :  I 
should  fight  with  the  stronger  army,  side  by  side  with 
Carmichael.  .  .  . 

I  was  standing  before  the  dead  fire,  thinking,  when 
the  door  opened  and  Sarah  came  in,  her  hair  loosened 
over  her  white  dressing-gown.  She  looked  strangely 
pale  arid  troubled. 

"  Van  !  "  she  cried  sharply.  "  What  have  you  to  do 
with  that  dishonest  Carmichael  ?  What  business  has  he 
with  you  ?  He  makes  me  afraid ;  and  you  never  came 
to  the  theatre  at  all !  " 


THE   WILL   OF   A   WOMAN  155 

"You're  dreaming,  Sal."  I  took  her  011  my  knee. 
"John  just  came  to  tell  me  how  to  make  your  everlast 
ing  fortune." 

"  But  you  are  not  to  leave  Mr.  Dround  ?  " 

"  Just  that." 

"  Leave  Mr.  Dround  and  go  with  that  dishonest  man  ! 
What  are  you  thinking  of,  Van  Harrington  ?" 

That  instinct  of  women,  which  people  talk  about,  some 
times  acts  like  a  fog:  it  keeps  them  from  seeing  any  one 
thing  clearly.  Sarah  could  only  see  the  Drounds  and  the 
piece  in  the  paper  about  bribing.  So  we  talked  it  over, 
like  husband  and  wife,  arriving  nowhere  in  particular, 
and  finally  I  said  at  random  :  — 

"  You  would  like  to  be  rich,  to  have  a  lot  of  money, 
more  than  you  ever  thought  to  have  —  millions,  maybe  ?  " 

"  Would  it  mean  all  that  ?  "  she  asked  slowly. 

I  laughed  at  the  way  she  took  my  bait. 

"  Millions  and  millions,  maybe." 

"  Would  it  be  dishonest,  Van  ?  " 

"We  don't  calculate  on  going  to  prison,"  I  joked. 

"  Well,"  she  reflected,  "  of  course  you  know  best.  I 
don't  believe  a  woman  should  interfere  in  her  husband's 
business.  But  the  Carmichaels  and  the  Strausses  are 
such  common  people,  even  if  they  are  so  awfully  rich. 
They  haven't  the  position  the  Drounds  have." 

When  it  came  to  that  I  kissed  her  and  put  out  the 
lights. 

In  this  life  few  intimacies  fill  the  full  orb  of  a  man's 
being.  Most  men  of  affairs  whom  I  have  known,  very 


156      THE   MEMOIRS    OF    AX    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

wisely  shut  down  their  desks  before  coming  home,  and 
shut  therein  a  good  slice  of  themselves.  Perhaps  they  do 
not  care  to  trust  any  one,  even  a  wife,  with  their  secrets. 
Perhaps  they  do  not  need  to  share  those  restless  hours  of 
anxiety  that  come  to  all  men  who  go  into  the  market  to 
make  money.  The  wife  should  mean  peace  and  affec 
tion  :  that  is  right  and  proper.  Nevertheless,  there  come 
times  when  a  man  must  talk  out  his  whole  soul  to  one 
who  understands  the  language  of  it.  For  he  hungers  to 
say  to  another  what  he  scarcely  dares  say  to  himself,  what 
is  shut  up  in  the  dark  of  his  thoughts.  It  is  not  advice 
that  he  needs,  but  sympathy  —  to  reveal  to  another  that 
web  of  purpose  which  he  has  woven,  which  is  himself. 
Many  a  man  who  has  carried  burdens  silently  long  years 
knows  what  I  mean.  The  touch  of  hand  to  hand  is 
much :  the  touch  of  mind  with  mind  is  more. 

Not  that  Sarah  and  I  failed  to  be  good  married  lovers. 
She  was  my  dear  wife.  But  there  are  some  last  hon 
esties  that  even  a  wife  penetrates  not — moments  when 
the  building  of  years  is  shaking  in  the  storm ;  moments 
of  loneliness,  when  mad  thoughts  arise  in  a  sober  head, 
and  a  man  gropes  to  find  what  there  is  not  even  in  the 
heart  of  the  woman  he  loves. 

Dround  was  not  at  the  office  the  next  morning :  they 
telephoned  from  his  house  that  he  was  ill.  Worry,  per 
haps,  had  brought  on  one  of  his  nervous  attacks.  Mean 
time,  it  was  easy  to  see  the  effect  of  Carmichael's  loss  all 
over  the  place.  Down  to  the  girls  in  the  mailing  room, 
the  force  knew  that  something  was  wrong  with  the  concern. 


THE    WILL   OF    A   WOMAN  157 

You  can't  keep  real  news  from  spreading:  people  are 
good  conductors  of  electricity;  their  thoughts  leak.  In 
any  business,  the  trouble  at  the  head  runs  all  along  the 
line  to  the  office  boys.  _ 

Later  in  the  day  there  came  a  message  from  Mr.  , 
Dround  asking  to  see  me  at  his  house  before  I  went 
home.  It  was  plain  enough  what  he  wanted  of  me,  and 
I  disliked  the  coming  interview.  For  I  should  have  to 
tell  him  that  I  had  decided  to  desert  to  his  enemies. 
There  was  no  other  way,  as  I  saw  it.  And  yet  it  seemed 
like  ingratitude.  That  was  what  his  wife  would  think, 
and  I  saw  her  looking  at  me,  a  scornful  smile  on  her  lips. 
However,  this  was  no  matter  for  sentiment.  If  her  hus 
band  had  been  another  sort  of  man,  —  if  he  had  any 
dare  in  him,  —  it  might  have  been  worth  while  to  try 
a  fall  with  Carmichael  and  Strauss.  But  as  it  was,  I 
felt  no  desire  to  follow  a  funeral.  Maybe  she  would, 
understand.  .  .  . 

As  I  turned  into  the  avenue  near  Dround's  house  there 
was  a  fresh  little  breeze  from  the  lake,  blowing  the  smoke 
away  from  the  city  and  cooling  the  air  after  the  warm 
day.  It  was  quiet  and  peaceful  on  the  broad  avenue  —  a 
very  different  kind  of  place  from  the  dirty  Yards  whence 
I  had  come.  It  made  me  feel  all  the  more  that  Dround 
didn't  belong  in  Packington. 

I  sat  waiting  some  time  for  Mr.  Dround,  and  was  grow 
ing  impatient  when  his  wife  came  into  the  room. 

"  Mr.  Dround  is  engaged  with  his  doctor,"  she  said. 
"  Won't  you  step  into  the  garden  with  me  ?  " 

Behind   the   house,  hidden   from  a  cross,  street   by  a 


158       THE   MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

brick  wall,  was  a  little  green  lawn  with  one  old  willow 
tree.  It  was  a  pretty,  restful  kind  of  place,  hardly  to  be 
looked  for  so  near  the  heart  of  the  city.  In  one  corner 
there  was  a  stone  bench  and  some  chairs,  and  a  table 
with  books  and  tea  things.  Across  the  top  of  the  wall 
one  could  see  a  line  of  gray  where  the  horizon  met  the 
lake. 

"  Pleasant  place ! "  I  exclaimed,  looking  across  the 
little  garden  out  to  the  lake. 

"  Yes,  it  makes  the  city  in  summer  tolerable." 

Her  eyes  followed  mine  as  they  rested  on  a  bit  of 
marble,  old  and  sculptured  with  yellow  figures,  that  had 
been  set  into  the  wall. 

"I  brought  that  from  Siena,"  she  explained.  "It  was 
in  an  old  wall  there.  It  reminds  me  of  Italy,"  she 
added,  touching  the  marble  lightly  with  her  fingers. 

Suddenly  she  turned  to  me  with  a  swift  question  :  — 

"  So  you're  to  be  our  new  Mr.  Carmichael  ?  " 

It  was  not  woman's  mere  haphazard  quizzing :  she  de 
manded  the  truth. 

"No,"  I  replied  gravely,  after  a  moment's  hesitation. 
"  Mrs.  Dround,  I  have  come  here  to  tell  Mr.  Dround  that 
I  must  decline  his  offer.  I  have  other  —  " 

"You  are  going  over  to  them!"  she  cried  quickly. 
There  was  no  reproach  in  her  voice,  but  she  gave  me 
a  keen  look  that  read  to  the  bottom  of  my  mind.  "  You 
will  be  a  tool  for  the  Jew  and  the  Irishman  !  "  There 
was  a  smile  on  her  lips  and  a  touch  of  scorn  in  her  voice. 
"  Tell  me,  why  ?  " 

Ami  I  told  her,  as  I  might  a  man  whom  I  trusted,  just 


THE    WILL    OF    A    WOMAN  159 

what  the  situation  was  —  how  disastrous  had  been  the 
row  with  Carmichael,  and  how  foolish  the  cause,  as  I 
thought.  She  listened  without  questions,  and  I  went  on 
to  cover  the  whole  matter  —  to  tell  of  the  large  plans 
that  our  great  rival  undoubtedly  had  in  view,  plans 
which  meant  ultimately  the  consolidation  of  the  entire 
business  in  some  great  corporation  under  his  control.  It 
was  as  clear  to  me  as  handwriting  what  he  was  aiming 
for  —  the  entire  food-products  business  of  the  country ; 
and  it  would  take  a  stronger  man  than  Henry  I.  Dround 
to  stand  against  him. 

"  So,  Mrs.  Dround,"  I  concluded,  "  the  best  thing  you 
and  I  can  do  for  Mr.  Dround  is  to  advise  him  to  retire, 
to  sell  out  —  " 

"He  would  never  do  that,"  she  interrupted  me  quietly. 

"You  must  make  him  see  it,"  I  urged. 

"There  are  some  things  I  cannot  do.  You  will  not 
understand ;  I  cannot  tell  you  —  it  is  not  my  right.  Only 
he  will  go  on  to  the  bitter  end." 

I  bowed.  There  was  nothing  further  to  be  said,  and 
we  sat  silently  for  a  few  minutes. 

"  But  are  you  sure,"  she  began  again,  "  that  that  would 
be  the  best  way  ?  Is  it  best  to  run  to  your  enemy,  cry 
ing  for  quarter  ?  " 

"  Not  if  you  can  put  up  a  good  fight !  " 

She  drew  her  fingers  caressingly  over  the  outlines 
of  the  old  marble. 

"  I  think  you  could  put  up  the  right  kind  of  a  fight," 
she  remarked  quietly.  "  Suppose  that  you  saw  your  way 
clear  to  go  in  —  to  fight  —  what  would  you  do  ?  " 


160      THE   MEMOIRS   OF   AN   AMERICAN   CITIZEN 

"  The  first  thing,"  I  said,  smiling,   "  would  be  to  hit 
Strauss  between  the  eyes." 


u  I  think  yon  could  put  up  the  riijht  kind  of  a  fight,"  X!H' 
remarked  quietly. 

"  Just  how  ?  " 

"Do  what  he  is  doing,  if  I  could :  get  together  all  the 


THE    WILL   OF   A   WOMAN  161 

independent  concerns  that  could  be  bought  or  persuaded 
into  joining.  Then  you  would  be  in  a  position  to  make 
terms  with  the  railroads  and  force  agreements  from  the 
big  fellows.  And  I  shouldn't  let  my  scruples  stand  in 
the  way,  either,"  I  added  hardily. 

"  Naturally  not  —  if  the  others  were  the  same  kind  ! " 

"  And  if  your  husband  were  made  like  you,"  I  thought 
to  myself,  "the  chance  would  be  worth  the  trying." 
"If,"  I  continued  aloud,  "you  could  get  the  Jevons 
Brothers,  the  E.  H.  Harris  Company,  Griscom,  in  Omaha, 
and  two  or  three  others,  there  would  be  a  beginning. 
And  there  is  this  London  and  Chicago  concern,  which 
could  be  had  cheap,"  I  mused  half  to  myself,  remember 
ing  Carmichael's  words. 

"  I  was  sure  you  knew  what  must  be  done,"  she  took 
me  up  in  the  same  cool,  assured  tone.  "  You  aren't  the 
man  to  follow  in  the  traces.  You  are  the  kind  that 
leads,  that  builds.  And  this  is  building  !  What  is  the 
first  step  ?  " 

I  looked  at  her,  but  this  time  I  did  not  laugh.  She 
had  risen  from  the  stone  bench  and  stood  gazing  out 
across  the  quiet  sward  to  the  blue  lake  beyond.  Her 
dark  features  were  alight  with  enthusiasm.  Then  she 
looked  over  at  me  inquiringly,  expecting  me  to  take  her 
lead,  to  walk  on  boldly  with  her. 

And  there  of  a  sudden  — for  until  that  moment  there 
was  nothing  in  my  mind  but  to  tell  Mr.  Dround  that  I 
was  to  leave  him  —  there  shot  into  my  head  a  plan  of 
how  this  thing  might  be  handled,  the  sketch  of  a  great 
campaign.  All  the  seeds  of  thought,  the  full  years' 


162      THE   MEMOIRS   OP   AN   AMERICAN   CITIZEN 

scliemings,  the  knowledge  and  experience  of  life  I  had 
been  getting  —  everything  that  was  within  me  came 
surging  up  into  one  grand  purpose.  How  it  came  to 
me  of  a  sudden,  born  of  a  few  words  this  woman  had 
spoken  here  in  the  garden  by  the  blue  lake,  is  beyond 
my  explanation.  Suddenly  I  saw  a  way,  clear  and  broad 
ahead  —  the  way  for  me  to  travel. 

"  You  will  have  to  take  the  first  steps  by  yourself  - 
manage   this  London   and  Chicago   Company  affair   on 
your    own   responsibility."      Mrs.    Dround's  voice   was 
now  matter-of-fact,  as  though  the  time  for  clear  thinking 
had  come.     "  Then,  when  you  have  your  plans  ready  — 
know  just  what  must  be  done  —  you  will  have  the  neces 
sary  help.     I  can  promise  that ! " 

I  understood  what  she  meant  —  that  Mr.  Dround  was 
not  to  be  approached  until  the  scheme  was  ripe.  Then 
she  would  swing  him  to  a  decision.  That  was  the  wise 
way. 

"You  are  right,"  I  agreed.  "It  would  be  useless  to 
trouble  him  until  the  land  is  mapped.  When  it  comes  to 
forming  the  company—:." 

"  Yes,  then,"  she  interrupted,  seeing  my  point.  "  Then 
I  shall  be  of  use." 

«  My,  —  but  it's  a  big  gamble  !  "  I  said  low  to  myself. 

"  That  is  the  only  kind  worth  making  ! "  she  flashed. 

It  struck  the  right  note  in  my  heart.  She  held  out 
her  hand,  and  I  took  it  in  mine. 

"We're  partners  on  this  thing!"  I  smiled. 

« Yes  —  to  the  end.  Now,  shall  we  go  to  Mr. 
Dround?" 


THE    WILL    OF    A    WOMAN  163 

Here  was  a  woman  who  should  have  headed  a  regi 
ment,  or  run  a  railroad,  or  sat  at  a  game  with  a  large 
stake ! 

Mr.  Dround  opened  the  door  on  the  veranda  and  came 
forward,  walking  feebly. 

"  How  do  you  do,  Harrington  ?  "  He  greeted  me,  giv 
ing  me  a  thin,  feverish  hand.  "  The  doctor's  been  gone 
a  good  while,  Jane,"  he  added  querulously.  "I  have 
been  waiting  for  you  in  the  library." 

Mrs.  Dround  moved  away  while  we  discussed  some  mat 
ters,  of  urgency,  and  then  Mr.  Dround  said  hesitantly : 
"  I  hope  you  see  your  way  clear,  Harrington,  to  accept 
ing  my  offer.  It  promises  a  great  future  for  a  man  as 
young  as  you,  with  your  energy,"  he  added  a  trifle 
pompously. 

"It  is  pretty  late  to  talk  of  that  to-night,"  I  replied, 
evasively. 

Mrs.  Dround  was  walking  slowly  toward  us;  she 
stopped  by  the  marble  piece  in  the  wall  and  seemed  to 
be  examining  it.  But  I  knew  that  she  was  listening. 

"There  are  some  plans  I  want  .to  talk  over  with  you 
first.  If  they  prove  satisfactory  to  you,  we  could  make 
an  arrangement,  perhaps." 

Mrs.  Dround  turned  her  head  and  looked  at  us 
inquiringly. 

"  Oh,  very  well ;  I  expect  to  be  at  the  office  to-morrow. 
This  Commission  for  the  Exposition  takes  a  great  deal  of 
my  time  and  energy  just  now."  (It  was  the  year  before 
the  great  Fair,  and  Mr.  Dround  was  one  of  the  Com 
missioners  for  that  enterprise.)  "But  we  will  take  up 


164      THE    MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN    C1TI/KN 

your  plans  at  once,"  he  concluded  graciously,  giving  me 
his  har.d. 

There  was  a  family  party  at  my  house  that  evening. 
Will  had  arrived  from  Texas,  where  he  had  been  to  look 
over  the  field  for  me,  and  May  was  visiting  us  with  her 
children.  As  I  walked  up  the  path  to  the  house  on  my 
return  from  Mr.  Dround's,  I  could  hear  Sarah's  low 
laugh.  She  and  May  were  rocking  back  and  forth 
behind  the  vines  of  the  piazza,  watching  the  children 
at  their  supper.  May  was  looking  almost  plump  and 
had  a  pleasant  flush  on  either  cheek;  for  good  times 
had  made  her  blossom  out.  But  Sarah  was  the  hand- 
somer  woman,  with  her  wavy,  rich  brown  hair  and  soft 
profile.  Instead  of  May's  prim  little  mouth,  her  lips 
were  always  half  open,  ready  "to  smile.  As  I  kissed  her, 
she  exclaimed :  — 

"  Where  have  you  been,  Van  ?  " 

"Seeing  some  one." 

"I  know,"  she  said  with  a  pout.  "You  have  been 
with  that  horrid  Irishman.  Well,  I  hope  you  made  him 
give  you  just  loads  of  money." 

"  But  suppose  I  haven't  been  to  see  John  ? "  I  asked 
laughingly,  thinking  she  would  be  delighted  to  find  out 
1  was  to  keep  on  with  Dround.  "  Suppose  I  took  your 
advice?" 

"  What !  Are  you  going  to  stay  with  Mr.  Dround,  after 
all  ?  And  all  that  money  you  were  telling  me  about  — 
millions!"  she  drawled  in  her  soft  voice  like  a  dis 
appointed  child. 


THE    AVILL    OF    A    WOMAN  165 

She  seemed  troubled  to  know  that  after  all  I  had 
given  up  my  chance  to  make  money  with  Strauss  and 
Carmichael. 

"  I  guess  we  shan't  starve,  Sarah,"  I  laughed  back. 

"  You  must  do  what  you  think  best,"  she  said  finally, 
and  repeated  her  favorite  maxim,  "  I  don't  believe  in  a 
woman's  interfering  in  a  man's  business." 

After  supper,  as  we  sat  out  in  the  warm  night,  Will 
talked  of  his  trip  through  the  Southwest. 

"  It's  a  mighty  big  country  down  there,  and  not 
touched.  You  folks  up  North  here  haven't  begun  to  see 
what  is  coming  to  that  country.  It's  the  new  promised 
land !  " 

And  he  went  raving  on  in  the  style  I  love  to  hear,  with  ! 
the  sunshine  of  great  lands  on  his  face  and  the  wind  from 
the  prairies  blowing  low  in  his  voice.  It  was  like  music 
that  set  my  thoughts  in  flow,  and  I  began  to  see  my 
scheme  unfold,  stretch  out,  embrace  this  new  fertile 
country,  reach  on  to  foreign  shores.  .  .  .  Then  my 
thoughts  went  back  to  the  garden  by  the  lake,  with  the 
piece  of  yellow  marble  in  the  wall. 

"  That's  a  pretty  little  place  the  Drounds  have  behind 
their  house,"  I  remarked  vaguely  to  Sarah  in  a  pause  of 
Will's  enthusiasm. 

"What  were  you  doing  in  the  Drounds'  garden?" 
Sarah  asked  quickly. 

"  Oh,  talking  business  ! " 

"  It's  a  queer  place  to  talk  business." 

"  It's  a  pretty  place,  and  there's  a  piece  of  marble  in 
the  wall  they  got  in  Italy  —  Siena,  or  some  such  place." 


1G()      THE   MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

"  So  you  were  talking  business  with  Jane  ? "  Sarah 
persisted. 

"  Well,  you  can  call  it  that.  Tell  me  more  about  that 
country,  Will.  Maybe  the  future  will  take  us  there." 

In  the  warm,  peaceful  evening,  with  a  good  cigar,  any 
thing  seemed  possible.  While  the  women  talked  of 
schools  and  the  children's  clothes,  I  saw  visions  of  the 
coming  year  —  of  the  great  gamble  ! 


CHAPTER   XIV 

THE    FIRST    MOVE 

The  Chicago  and  London  Packing  Company  —  Bidding  for  bonds 
—  A  man  named  Lokes  —  A  consideration  for  services  per 
formed —  Bribery  —  A  sheriff's  sale —  We  take  the  trick  —  The 
tail  of  a  snake  —  Not  a  gospel  game 

SLOCUM  had  been  after  the  bondholders'  protective 
committee  of  the  London  and  Chicago  Company.  There 
were  only  a  million  and  a  half  of  bonds  out,  which, 
before  their  smash,  could  be  picked  up  for  less  than 
twenty.  Lately,  on  the  rumor  that  one  of  the  strong 
Chicago  houses  was  bidding  for  them,  their  price  had 
risen  somewhat.  The  hand  of  Carmichael  working 
through  one  of  the  smaller  corporations  controlled  by 
Strauss  was  plain  enough  to  one  who  watched,  and  I 
resolved  as  the  first  step  in  my  campaign  to  outwit  my 
old  boss  in  this  little  deal.  From  the  price  of  the  bonds 
it  was  evident  that  Carmichael  was  offering  the  bond 
holders  about  twenty-five  for  the  control.  I  told  Slocum 
to  give  forty  and  then  arrange  to  bid  the  property  in  at 
the  sheriff's  sale. 

The  lawyer  reported  that  two  of  the  bondholders' 
committee  were  favorable  to  our  terms :  they  hated  the 
Strauss  crowd,  and  they  were  afraid  to  wait  for  better 
terms,  as  money  was  hardening  all  the  time.  But  the 

167 


108     THE    MEMOIRS    OF    AN     AM  El!  1C  AN    CITIZEN 

third  man,  who  had  been  the  treasurer  of  the  defunct 
corporation,  held  out  for  a  higher  figure.  Slocum 
thought  that  this  man,  whose  name  was  Lokes,  might 
be  dickering  with  Carmichael  secretly  to  secure  some 
favors  for  himself  in  the  deal.  This  Lokes  was  not 
unknown  to  me,  and  I  considered  Slocum's  suspicions 
well  founded.  He  had  left  behind  him  in  Kansas  City 
a  bad  name,  and  here  in  Chicago  he  ran  with  a  set  of 
small  politicians,  serving  as  a  middleman  between  them 
and  the  financial  powers  who  used  them.  In  short,  I 
knew  of  but  one  way  to  deal  with  a  gentleman  like  Mr. 
Lokes,  and  I.  had  made  up  my  mind  to  use  that  way. 

Slocum  made  an  appointment  with  Lokes  in  his  office, 
and  I  went  there  to  meet  him  and  arrange  to  get  the 
London  and  Chicago  outfit  with  as  little  delay  as  possi 
ble.  Lokes  was  a  small,  smooth-shaven  fellow,  very  well 
dressed,  with  something  the  air  of  a  horsy  gentleman. 
First  he  gave  us  a  lot  of  talk  about  the  value  of  the 
London  and  Chicago  properties,  and  the  duty  of  his  com 
mittee  to  the  bondholders.  He  and  his  associates  had 
no  mind  to  let  the  property  go  for  a  song.  I  made  up 
my  mind  just  what  inducement  would  reach  him,  while 
he  and  Slocum  argued  about  the  price  of  the  bonds. 
When  Lokes  began  to  throw  out  Carmichael  at  us,  I 
broke  in  :  — 

"  Mr.  Lokes,  you  know  there  isn't  much  in  this  deal 
for  that  crowd.  But  I  don't  mind  telling  you  frankly 
that  it  is  of  prime  importance  to  the  interests  we 
represent." 

Slocum  looked  up  at  me,  mystified,  but  1  went  on:  — 


THE    FIRST   MOVE  169 

"  We  propose  to  form  a  large  packing  company,  into 
which  we  shall  take  a  number  of  concerns  on  which  we 
have  options.  We  want  this  property  first.  When  our 
company  is  formed  we  might  make  it  very  well  worth 
your  while  having  been  friendly  to  us  in  this  trans 
action." 

Lokes  didn't  move  a  muscle :  this  was  the  talk  he  had 
been  waiting  for,  but  he  wanted  to  hear  the  figures.  I 
told  him  enough  of  our  plans  to  let  him  see  that  we  had 
good  backing  and  to  whet  his  appetite. 

"Now  we  have  offered  your  committee  forty  cents  on 
the  dollar  for  your  bonds,  which  is  fifteen  more  than  the 
other  crowd  will  give  you.  If  you  will  induce  your 
associates  to  take  bonds  in  our  corporation,  we  will  give 
you  fifty,  instead  of  forty  — and,"  I  concluded  slowly, 
"  there  will  be  fifty  thousand  dollars  of  preferred  stock 
for  your  services." 

At  the  word  "services"  Slocum  jumped  up  from  the 
table  where  he  had  been  seated  and  walked  over  to  the 
•window,  then  came  back  to  the  table,  and  tried  to  attract 
my  attention.  But  I  kept  my  eyes  on  Lokes. 

"  What  will  you  do  for  the  others  ? "  Lokes  asked 
significantly,  meaning  his  two  associates  on  the  com 
mittee. 

"Nothing!"  I  said  shortly.  "You  will  look  after 
them.  They  will  do  what  you  say.  That  is  what  we 
pay  for." 

It  was  plain  enough  that  I  was  offering  him  a  good-sized 
bribe  for  his  services  in  turning  over  to  us  the  assets 
of  the  London  and  Chicago  concern  rather  than  to  our 


170     THE    MEMOIRS    OF    AN   AMERICAN   CITIZEN 

rivals,  and  for  bonds  in  the  prospective  company  instead 
of  cash.  That  did  not  trouble  him :  he  was  aware  that 
he  had  not  been  asked  to  meet  me  to  talk  of  the  health 
of  the  bankrupt  company  of  which  he  had  been  the 
treasurer.  Lokes  thought  awhile,  asked  some  more 
questions  about  our  company,  and  finally  hinted  at  his 
preference  for  cash  for  his  services. 

"  Either  forty  cash  with  no  bonus  for  your  services,  or 
fifty  in  bonds  with  the  preferred  stock  for  you/'"  I  answered 
shortly. 

Pretty  soon  he  took  his  hat  and  said  he  was  going  to 
see  his  associates  on  the  committee,  and  would  be  back 
in  the  course  of  the  afternoon. 

"  He's  gone  over  to  Carmichael,"  I  remarked  to  Slocum, 
when  he  had  closed  the  office  door  behind  Mr.  Lokes. 
"But  John  won't  touch  him — he  won't  believe  his  story. 
He  doesn't  think  I've  got  the  cash  or  the  nerve  to  play 
this  game.  We'll  see  him  back  in  an  hour  or  two." 

"  Do  you  know,  Van,  what  you  are  doing  ?  "  Slocum 
asked  sombrely,  instead  of  replying  to  my  remark.  "  You 
have  bribed  that  man  to  betray  his  trust." 

"  I  guess  that  was  what  he  came  here  for,  Sloco.  But 
we  are  offering  them  a  good  price  for  their  goods.  This 
man  Lokes  happens  to  be  a  rascal.  If  he  had  been 
straight,  we  could  have  saved  that  preferred  stock. 
That's  all  there  is  to  it." 

But  Slocum  still  shook  his  head. 

"  It's  a  bad  business." 

"  Well,  it  costs  money.  But  I  mean  to  put  this  thing 
through,  and  you  know  at  the  best  I  may  lose  every  cent 


THE    FIRST   MOVE  171 

I  have  made  in  twelve  years.     It's  no  time  to  be  squeam 
ish,  Slocuin." 

"  I  wish  —  "  he  began,  and  paused. 
"  You  wish,  if  there  is  any  more  of  this  kind  of  thing, 
I  would  get  some  one  else  to  do  my  business?     But  I 
can't !     I  must  have  a  man  I  can  rely  upon." 

It  meant  a  good  reward  for  him,  too,  if  we  carried 
through  my  great  plan.  But  Slocuin  was  not  the  one 
to  be  reached  in  that  way.  He  needed  the  money,  and 
wanted  it  badly,  but  money  alone  wouldn't  make  him 
stick  by  me.  I  knew  that. 

"  We'll  hope  this  is  the  last,"  I  said,    after  a  time. 
"  And,  besides,  I  take  the  risk.     I  want  you,  and  you 
won't  go  back  on  me.     I  need  you,  Slo  !  " 
He  made  no  reply. 

Sure  enough,  late  that  afternoon  Slocuin  telephoned 
me  that  Lokes  had  come  back  and  signified  his  consent 
and  that  of  his  associates  to  our  terms.  The  bond 
holders  would  take  notes,  to  be  converted  later  into 
bonds  of  the  new  company  at  fifty  cents  on  the  dollar. 
Lokes  asked  for  some  kind  of  agreement  about  the  stock 
he  was  to  get  for  his  "  services,"  which  I  refused  to  give 
him,  on  Slocurn's  advice.  He  had  to  content  himself 
with  Slocum's  statement  that  he  was  dealing  with  gen 
tlemen. 

The  next  step  in  the  proceedings  was  the  sheriff's  sale 
of  the  defunct  corporation's  effects,  which  was  ordered 
by  the  court  for  the  following  Monday.  That  comedy 
took  place  on  the  court-house  steps  according  to  law. 
The  sheriff  read  the  decree  of  court  to  an  audience  of 


That  comedy  took  place  on  the  court-house  steps  (iccnrdimj  t,> 


172 


THE   FIRST   MOVE  173 

hoboes,  who  were  roosting  on  the  steps,  and  some 
passers-by  halted  to  see  the  proceedings.  When  the 
sheriff  asked  for  bids,  a  little  Jew  lawyer  in  a  shiny 
silk  hat  stepped  forward  out  of  the  crowd  and  made  his 
bid.  This  was  Marx,  the  junior  member  of  a  firm  em 
ployed  by  Strauss.  Just  as  the  sheriff  was  about  to  nod 
to  the  Jew,  Slocum  stepped  forward  with  a  certified 
check  in  his  hand  and  bid  in  the  property  for  seven 
hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars. 

There  was  nothing  for  Marx  to  do;  Carmichael  had 
given  him  no  instructions  for  this  contingency.  He  had 
his  orders,  and  he  stood  there  with  his  jaw  hanging, 
while  Slocum  handed  in  the  certified  check  and  com 
pleted  the  formality  of  the  sale. 

"  It  is  fraud ! "  Marx  shouted,  shaking  his  fist  in  my 
face  as  we  left. 

Perhaps  he  was  right;  but  whatever  fraud  there  was 
in  the  transaction  did  not  concern  Marx  or  the  men  he 
represented.  They  had  been  euchred  at  their  own  game. 
And  they  knew  it :  we  never  heard  anything  more  from 
the  Strauss  crowd  about  the  London  and  Chicago  bonds. 

"  Well,  you've  got  it,"  Slocum  said,  as  we  came  away 
from  the  sale.  "I  hope  we  won't  have  trouble  with 
Lokes." 

"  That's  all  right,"  I  replied.  "  We've  got  him  where 
he  can't  make  trouble." 

"There's  usually  a  tail  to  this  kind  of  thing  —  you 
never  can  tell  when  you  have  reached  the  end." 

But  I  was  too  jubilant  to  take  gloomy  views.  The 
skirmish  was  over,  and  we  were  a  step  nearer  my  goal. 


174     THK    MKMOIKS    (>F    AN    AMKKK'AN   CITIZEN 

A  few  days  after  that  I  ran  across  John  Carmichael  as 
I  was  picking  my  way  in  the  muck  out  of  the  Yards.  He 
was  driving  in  a  little  red-wheeled  road  wagon  such  as 
the  local  agents  use  for  running  about  the  city.  He 
called  out :  — 

"  Hey,  Van  Harrington  !     Come  over  here  !  " 

"  Can't  Strauss  do  any  better  by  you  than  that  ?  Or 
maybe  you  have  gone  back  to  collecting  again  ?  "  I  asked. 

The  Irishman  grunted  his  acknowledgment  of  my  joke, 
and  we  talked  about  one  thing  and  another,  both  know 
ing  perfectly  well  what  there  was  between  us.  Finally 

he  said  it :  — 

«  So  you  thought  you  could  do  better  by  sticking  with 

the  old  man?" 

I  nodded. 

"  How  long  do  you  think  he'll  keep  goin'  ?  " 

"About  as  long  as  I  stay  with  him,  John." 

"And  you  put  him  up  to  buying  that  junk  at  the 
auction  the  other  day?"  he  added. 

"  I  bought  it  for  myself,"  I  replied  promptly. 

«The  h— 1  you  did!  Say,  kid,  this  ain't  any  gos 
pel  game  you  are  in.  You  needn't  look  for  favors  from 
our  crowd." 

"We  aren't  asking  any  just  now.  When  we  want 
them,  I  guess  we'll  get  all  that  we  need." 

"  You  will,  will  you  ?  "  Big  John  raised  his  whip  and 
hit  his  horse  as  if  he  meant  to  lay  the  same  lash  on  me 
one  of  these  days.  The  red-wheeled  cart  disappeared 
down  the  road,  the  figure  of  the  burly  Irishman  leumn- 
forward  and  necking  the  horse  with  his  lash. 


CHAPTER   XV 

THE    ATLAS    OX    THE    FLOOR 

A  tell-tale  portrait —  When  the  fire  of  life  has  gone —  The  guiding 
hand  —  A  woman  who  understands — The  highroads  of  com 
merce  —  The  great  Southwest  —  Dreams  —  The  art  of  life —  "  JVo 
one  asks,  if  you  succeed" 

MB.  DROUND'S  illness  kept  him  away  from  business 
for  a  month  or  more.  He  had  always  been  in  delicate 
health,  and  this  worry  over  the  loss  of  Carmichael  and 
the  bad  outlook  in  his  affairs  was  too  much  for  him.  His 
absence  gave  me  the  opportunity  to  form  my  plans  un 
disturbed  by  his  timidity  and  doubts.  After  he  recovered, 
his  time  was  much  absorbed  by  the  preparations  for  the 
Fair,  in  which  he  was  much  interested.  In  all  this  I 
could  see  a  deft  hand  guiding  and  restraining — giving 
me  my  rein.  At  last,  when  I  was  ready  to  lay  my  plans 
before  Mr.  Dround,  I  made  an  appointment  with  him  at 
his  house. 

He  was  sitting  alone  in  his  great  library,  looking  at  a 
picture  which  one  of  the  artists  attracted  to  the  city  by 
the  Fair  was  painting  of  him.  When  he  heard  my  step 
he  got  up  sheepishly  and  hung  a  bit  of  cloth  over  the  por 
trait,  but  not  before  I  had  seen  the  cruel  truth  the  painter 
had  been  telling  his  patron.  For  the  face  on  the  canvas 
was  old  and  gray ;  the  daring  and  spirit  to  fight,  what- 

175 


176     THE   MEMOIRS   OF   AN   AMERICAN   CITIZEN 

ever  the  man  had  been  born  with,  had  gone  out  of  it. 
I  pitied  him  as  he  stood  there  by  his  picture,  his  thin  lips 
trembling  with  nervousness.  He  seemed  to  shrink  from 
me  as  though  afraid  of  something.  We  sat  down,  and 
after  the  first  words  of  politeness  neither  of  us  spoke. 
Finally  he  asked  :  — 

"  Well,  Harrington,  how  do  you  find  matters  now  that 
you  have  had  time  to  look  into  the  situation  ?  " 

"Very  much  as  I  expected  to  find  them,"  I  replied 
bluntly.  "  And  that  is  as  bad  as  could  be.  Something 
must  be  done  at  once,  and  I  have  come  to  you  to-day  to 
settle  what  that  shall  be." 

He  flushed  a  little  proudly  at  my  words,  but  I  plunged 
in  and  sketched  the  situation  to  him  as  it  had  become 
familiar  to  me.  At  first  he  was  inclined  to  interrupt  and 
question  my  statements,  but  he  saw  that  I  had  my  facts. 
As  I  went  on,  showing  him  how  his  big  rivals  had  taken 
his  markets  —  how  his  business  had  fallen  so  that  he 
could  no  longer  get  those  special  rates  he  had  been  too 
virtuous  to  accept  —  he  seemed  to  slink  into  his  chair. 
It  was  like  an  operation  ;  but  there  was  no  use  in  wasting 
time  in  pity.  His  mind  must  be  opened.  Toward  the 
end  he  closed  his  eyes  and  looked  so  weak  that  once  I 
stopped.  But  he  motioned  to  me  to  go  on. 

"  And  what  do  you  advise  ?  "  he  asked  weakly  at  the 
end. 

"  I  have  already  begun  to  act,"  I  replied  with  a  smile, 
and  outlined  what  had  been  done. 

He  shook  his  head. 

"That  has  been  tried  before.     All  such  combinations 


THE   ATLAS    ON   THE   FLOOR 


177 


have  failed.     Strauss,   or  one  of  the  others,  will  split 

it  up." 

I  did  not  believe  that  the  combination  which  I  had 
to  propose  would  be  so  easily  disturbed.  In  the  midst  of 
our  argument  some  one  came  into  the  room  behind  us  and 
paused,  listening.  I  stopped. 

«  What  is  it,  my  dear  ?  "  Mr.  Dround  said,  looking  up. 
"  We  are  talking  business.'' 

"Yes,"  she  said  slowly.  She  was  in  street  clothes, 
with  hat,  and  she  began  to  draw  off  her  gloves  slowly. 
"Shall  I  disturb  you?" 

"  Why,  no,"  he  answered  indifferently,  and  I  resumed 
my  argument.  Mrs.  Dround  sat  down  behind  the  table 
and  opened  some  letters,  busying  herself  there.  But  I 
felt  her  eyes  on  my  words.  Unconsciously  I  addressed 
the  rest  of  my  argument  to  her.  When  I  had  finished, 
Mr.  Dround  leaned  back  wearily  in  his  seat  and  sighed  :  - 
"  Yours  is  a  very  bold  plan.  Mr.  Harrington.  It  might 
succeed  if  we  could  get  the  necessary  financial  support. 
But,  as  you  know  well  enough,  this  is  hardly  the  time  to 
provide  money  for  any  venture.  The  banks  would  not 
look  favorably  upon  such  a  speculative  suggestion.  We 
shall  have  to  wait  until  better  times." 

"We  can't  wait,"  I  said  brusquely.  "Bad  times  or 
riot,  we  must  act." 

"  Well,  well,  I  will  think  it  over.  It  is  time  for  my 
medicine,  isn't  it,  Jane  ? "  he  said,  looking  fretfully  at 
his  wife. 

It  was  a  broad  hint  for  me  to  take  myself  off,  and  my 
wild  schemes  with  me.  Tor  a  moment  I  felt  disgusted 


178     THE    MEMOIRS    OF    AN   AMERICAN   CITIZEN 

with  myself  for  believing  that  anything  could  be  accom 
plished  with  this  failing  reed.  Mrs.  Dround  came  softly 
up  to  her  husband's  chair  and  leaned  over  him. 

"You  are  too  tired  for  more  business  to-day,  dear. 
Come  —  let  me  get  your  medicine." 

She  took  his  arm  and  with  all  the  gentleness  in  the 
world  led  him  from  the  room,  motioning  to  me  with  one 
hand  to  keep  my  seat.  When  they  had  gone  I  removed 
the  cloth  from  the  portrait  on  the  easel  and  took  a  good 
look  at  it.  It  was  the  picture  of  a  gentleman,  surely. 
While  I  was  looking  at  it,  and  wondering  about  the  man, 
Mrs.  Dround  came  back  into  the  room  and  stood  at  my  side. 

"  It  is  good,  isn't  it  ?  " 

"Yes,"  I  admitted  reluctantly,  thinking  it  was  only 
too  good.  As  I  replaced  the  cloth  over  the  picture,  I 
noticed  that  her  lips  were  drawn  tight  as  if  she  suffered. 
I  had  read  a  part  of  their  story  in  that  pathetic  little  way 
in  which  she  had  led  her  husband  from  the  room. 

"  So  you  have  started,"  she  said  soon,  turning  away 
from  the  picture.  "  How  are  you  getting  on  ?  Tell  me 
everything ! " 

When  she  had  the  situation  before  her,  she  re 
marked  :  — 

"Now  is  the  time  to  take  the  next  step,  and  for  that 
you  need  Mr.  Dround's  help." 

"Exactly.  These  separate  plants  must  be  taken  over, 
a  holding  company  incorporated,  and  the  whole  financed. 
It  can  be  done  if  —  " 

"If  Mr.  Dround  will  consent,"  she  finished  my  sen 
tence,  "  and  give  his  aid  in  raising  the  money  ?  " 


THE   ATLAS    OX   THE    FLOOR  179 

Her  shrewdness,  immediate  comprehension,  roused  my 
admiration.  But  what  was  her  interest  in  the  scheme  ? 
As  Sarah  had  told  me,  it  was  generally  believed  that 
Jane  Dround  had  a  large  fortune  in  her  own  right. 
AVhy  should  she  bother  with  the  packing  business  ? 
She  might  spend  her  time  more  agreeably  picking  up 
Italian  marbles.  Her  next  words  partly  answered  my 
wonder  :  — 

"Of  course,  he  will  see  this,  and  will  consent;  or 
prepare  to  lose  everything." 

I  nodded. 

"  I  don't  like  to  pull  out  of  things,"  she  said  slowly. 

"  Mr.  Dround  is  in  such  poor  health,"  I  objected. 

"  This  is  not  his  fight :  it  is  yours.  All  that  he  can 
do  is  to  give  you  your  first  support.  Leave  that  to  me. 
Tell  me  what  you  will  do  with  this  corporation  —  what 
next  ?  " 

She  was  seated  in  a  little  chair,  resting  her  dark  head 
ripon  her  hands.  Her  eyes  read  my  face  as  I  spoke. 
Again,  as  the  other  time  when  we  had  spoken  in  the 
garden,  I  felt  as  though  lifted  suddenly  on  the  wings 
of  a  strong  will.  At  a  bound  my  mind  swept  up  to  meet 
her  mind.  On  the  shelf  near  by  there  was  a  large  atlas. 
I  took  it  down,  and  placing  it  on  the  rug  at  our  feet,  turned 
the  leaves  until  I  came  to  the  plate  of  the  United  States. 

"  Come  here.  Look  there ! "  I  said,  indicating  the 
entire  eastern  third  of  the  map  with  a  sweep  of  my 
hand.  "  There  is  nothing  for  us  that  way  to  be  had. 
We  could  never  get  to  the  seaboard.  The  others  own 
that  territory." 


180     THE    MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITI/KN 

The  map  was  streaked  with  lines  of  railroad  running 
like  the  currents  of  a  great  river  from  the  broad  prairies 
of  the  ])akotas,  across  the  upper  Mississippi  Valley, 
around  the  curve  of  the  Great  Lakes,  eastward  to  the 
Atlantic  seaboard. 

"Those  are  the  old  highroads,"  I  went  on,  following 
the  lines  of  trade  with  my  finger.  "  And  those  are  the 
old  markets.  We  must  find  a  new  territory,  make  it, 
create  the  roads.  And  it  must  be  a  territory  that 
is  waiting,  fertile,  unexplored  !  Here  it  is !  " 

My  hand  ran  down  the  map  southwestward,  crossing 
Kansas,  Nebraska,  Oklahoma,  Indian  Territory,  resting 
on  the  broad  tract  marked  Texas. 

"  For  us  that  will  be  what  the  Northwest  has 
been  for  our  fathers.  There  lies  the  future  —  our 
future ! " 

"Our  future,"  she  repeated  slowly,  with  pleasure  in 
the  words.  "  You  plan  to  feed  this  land  ?  " 

"  Settlers  are  pouring  in  there,  now,  like  vermin.  The 
railroads  are  following,  and  already  there  are  the  only 
strong  markets  we  have  to-day  —  those  I  have  been  build 
ing  up  for  five  years." 

We  sat  there  on  the  floor  before  the  atlas,  and  the 
bigness  of  the  idea  got  hold  of  both  of  us.  I  pointed 
out  the  great  currents  of  world  trade,  and  plotted  ;i 
new  current,  to  rise  from  that  same  wheat  land  of  the 
])akotas,  flowing  southward  to  the  ports  of  the  Gulf. 
Already,  as  I  knew,  the  wheat  and  corn  and  meat  of  this 
Western  land  had  begun  to  turn  southward,  avoiding  the 
gate  of  Chicago  with  its  heavy  tolls,  to  flow  by  the  path 


I  pointed  out  the  great  currents  of  world  trade. 


181 


182     THE   MEMOIRS    OF    AX    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

of  least  resistance  out  through  the  ports  of  the  Gulf  to 
Europe  and  Asia. 

"  This  is  but  the  beginning,  then  —  this  packing  com 
pany  ?  "  she  questioned  slowly,  putting  her  finger  on  the 
inner  truth,  as  was  her  wont. 

"  Perhaps !  "  I  laughed  back  in  the  recklessness  of 
large  plans.  "  The  meat  business  is  nothing  to  what's 
coming.  We  shall  have  a  charter  that  will  let  us  build 
elevators,  railroads,  own  ports,  run  steamship  lines  — 
everything  that  has  to  do  with  the  handling  of  food 
stuffs.  Some  day  that  canal  will  be  dug,  and  then, 
then"  .  .  . 

I  can't  say  how  long  we  were  there  on  our  knees 
before  that  atlas.  It  may  all  seem  childish,  but  the 
most  astonishing  thing  is  that  most  of  what  we  imagined 
then  has  come  true  in  one  way  or  another.  And  faster 
even  than  my  expectation. 

At  last  we  looked  up,  at  the  same  moment,  and  our 
eyes  rested  on  the  portrait  above  us.  The  cloth  had 
slipped  from  the  canvas,  and  there  was  the  speaking 
face,  old  and  saddened  —  the  face  without  hope,  without 
desire.  It  seemed  the  face  of  despair,  chiding  us  for 
our  thoughts  of  youth  and  hope.  Mrs.  Pround  arose 
from  the  floor  and  hung  the  cloth  in  its  place,  touch 
ing  the  portrait  softly  here  and  there.  Then  she  stood, 
resting  her  hands  on  the  frame,  absorbed  in  thought. 
A  kind  of  gloom  had  come  over  her  features. 

"This  —  this  scheme  you  have  plotted,  is  life!  It  is 
imagination ! "  She  drew  a  long  breath  as  though  to 
shake  off  the  lethargy  of  years.  "  That  art,"  she  pointed 

N* 

^        1>^ 


THE  ATLAS  ON  THE  FLOOR         183 

to  the  picture  of  a  pale,  ghostly  woman's  face,  hanging- 
near  by  us  on  the  wall  — "  that  is  a  mere  plaything 
beside  yours." 

"I  don't  know  much  about  art:  that  is  the  work  of 
a  man's  own  two  hands.  But  mine  is  the  work  of  thou 
sands  and  thousands,  hands  and  brains.  And  it  can  be 
ruined  by  a  trick  of  fate." 

"  Xo,  never  !  You  shall  have  your  chance  —  I  promise 
it  —  I  know!  Sit  down  here  and  let  us  go  back  to  the 
first  steps  and  work  it  out  again  carefully." 

So  there  in  the  fading  twilight  of  the  afternoon  was 
formed  the  American  Meat  Products  Company.  Again 
and  again  we  went  over  the  companies  to  be  included, 
the  sources  of  credit,  the  men  to  interest,  the  bankers 
from  whom  money  might  be  had. 

"It  is  here  we  must  have  Mr.  Dround's  help,"  I 
pointed  out  significantly. 

She  nodded. 

"  When  this  step  is  taken,  I  think  he  ought  to  go 
abroad  —  he  needs  the  rest.  He  could  leave  all  else  to 
you,  I  think." 

I  understood ;  the  corporation  once  formed,  he  would 
drop  out. 

"  There  might  be  matters  to  which  he  would  object  —  " 

She  translated  my  vague  words. 

"  No  one  asks,  if  you  succeed"  she  answered  tranquilly. 

And  with  that  observation  were  settled  those  trouble 
some  questions  of  morality  which  worried  Mr.  Dround  so 
deeply. 


184     THE   MEMOIRS   OF   AN   AMERICAN   CITIZEN 

As  I  left  I  said  in  homage  :  — 

"  If  this  thing  is  pulled  off,  it  will  be  yours  ! " 

"Oh,  no!  Mr.  ])round  doesn't  like  women  to  meddle 
with  business.  It  is  all  yours,  all  yours  — and  I  am 
glad  to  have  it  so." 

Her  eyes  came  back  to  mine,  and  she  smiled  in 
dismissal. 


CHAPTER   XVI 

THE    STRUGGLE 

Hard  times  —  How  to  make  something  out  of  nothing  —  The  prob 
lem  of finance  —  Getting  help— Cousin  Parson— A  trip  down 
the  coast  —  Paternal  admonition  —  The  beautiful  city  beside  the 
lake— The  last  ditch  — A  strong  woman's  nonsense  —  The 
Drounds  sail  for  Europe  —  /  am  in  command 

IT  is  not  my  purpose  to  recall  all  the  details  of  the 
crowded  years  that  followed.  From  the  autumn  of  '92, 
when  the  events  that  I  have  just  related  occurred, 
through  the  period  of  deepening  depression  in  all  busi 
ness  and  the  succeeding  era  of  prosperity,  I  can  do  little 
more  than  touch  here  and  there  upon  more  vital  events. 
Suffice  it  to  say  that  we  were  met  at  the  start  with  hard 
times,  a  period  of  tight  money,  which  prevented  the 
quick  realization  of  my  plan  to  incorporate  the  properties 
that  had  been  gathered  together.  One  way  and  another 
the  companies  were  carried  along,  by  issuing  notes  and 
securing  what  financial  help  could  be  got,  waiting  for 
the  favorable  time  to  launch  our  enterprise.  Here  Mr. 
Dround  was  a  strong  help :  once  committed  to  the  under 
taking,  he  persuaded  others  and  used  his  credit  gener 
ously.  Sometimes  he  looked  back,  seeking  to  retreat 
from  the  positions  to  which  he  was  being  forced ;  but  he 
saw  only  ruin  behind  him,  and  perforce  went  ahead. 

185 


186     THE   MEMOIRS   OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

Strange  to  say,  we  met  at  first  little  or  no  opposition 
from  our  strong  rivals.  Whether  it  was  that  Strauss 
and  his  crowd  were  willing  to  let  the  mice  foregather 
into  one  trap  before  showing  their  claws,  or  that  they 
despised  us  as  weaklings,  no  one  could  say.  We  were 
able,  even,  to  join  the  great  packers  in  one  of  those  private 
agreements  that  made  it  possible  for  us  to  secure  our 
share  of  the  home  trade.  Mr.  Dround  was  aware  of 
this  fact,  but  averted  his  eyes.  Necessity  knows  little 
squeamislmess.  It  must  have  rilled  John  Carmichael 
with  unholy  joy  to  know  that  Dround  had  come  to  this 
compromise  with  his  virtue. 

So,  in  spite  of  the  hard  times,  we  pushed  on,  branching 
out  here  and  there  as  the  chance  offered,  building  a  plant 
in  Texas,  where  Will  was  sent  to  take  charge,  and  making 
a  deal  with  a  car  line  that  had  been  started  by  some 
Boston  men.  But  the  time  came  when  we  had  to  have 
more  money,  and  have  it  at  once.  There  was  none  to 
be  raised  in  Chicago,  where  the  frost  of  the  panic  had 
settled  first  and  hardest.  Slocum,  who  was  my  right 
hand  all  these  months,  suggested  that  the  money  might 
be  had  from  the  Boston  men  who  owned  the  car  line.  So 
in  July,  '93,  we  made  a  hurried  trip  to  the  East.  They 
were  frightened  in  Boston,  and  we  met  with  little  but 
disappointment.  Men  were  waiting  for  Congress  to  re 
peal  the  silver  law,  or  do  something  else  to  make  it 
pleasant,  and  wouldn't  listen  to  putting  out  another 
dollar  in  a  Chicago  enterprise.  Then  it  occurred  to 
Slocum  that  we  might  interest  a  man  he  knew  named 
Farson,  the  rich  man  of  his  old  home,  Portland. 


THE   STRUGGLE  187 

Parson,  we  found,  was  down  the  coast  somewhere  on 
his  vacation,  and  we  followed  after  him.  It  was  the 
first  time  I  had  ever  been  in  that  part  of  the  country, 
and  the  look  of  it  was  queer  to  me  —  a  lot  of  scrawny, 
rocky  fields  and  wooden-built  towns.  When  we  failed 
to  find  Farson  in  Portland,  it  did  not  seem  to  me  worth 
while  to  go  on  —  I  doubted  if  there  was  as  much  money 
in  the  whole  town  as  we  had  to  have;  but  Sloco  was 
strongly  of  the  opinion  that  these  Maine  people  had 
fortunes  tucked  away  in  their  old  stockings.  So  we 
kept  on  down  the  coast,  and  found  our  man  at  his  sum 
mer  cottage,  on  a  little  rocky  island. 

This  Mr.  Farson  was  a  short,  wiry,  little  man,  almost 
sixty  years  old,  with  a  close-cropped  gray  mustache,  and 
looked  for  all  the  world  like  a  retired  school-teacher.  He 
received  us  on  his  front  piazza,  and  it  took  him  and 
Slocum  half  an  hour  to  establish  just  the  degree  of 
consulship  they  were  to  each  other.  I  wanted  to  laugh 
and  to  put  in:  "We've  come  to  make  your  fortune, 
cousin.  It  don't  make  any  difference  whether  you  are 
third  once  removed  or  second  twice  removed."  But  I 
thought  it  likely  that  Slocum  knew  his  business  best 
with  these  people  and  kept  quiet. 

When  Slocum  got  around  to  saying  that  we  were  in 
terested  in  various  AVestern  enterprises,  the  weather 
seemed  to  grow  cool  all  of  a  sudden.  But  Cousin  Farson 
listened  politely  and  asked  some  good  questions  at  the 
end.  Then  he  let  us  go  all  the  way  across  the  harbor 
to  the  hotel  where  we  had  put  up,  to  get  our  dinner.  I 
thought  we  had  lost  him,  but  Slocum  thought  not.  For 


188     THE   MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

Cousin  Farson  had  asked  us  to  go  fishing  with  him  in 
the  afternoon. 

"He  might  have  given  us  a  sandwich,"  I  growled 
to  Slocum.  "That  place  of  his  looks  as  if  he  could 
afford  it." 

Slocum  smiled  at  my  irritation. 

"  He  did  not  ask  you  down  here.  He  doesn't  feel  re 
sponsible  for  your  coming.  Probably  Cousin  Susan  would 
need  a  warning  before  inviting  two  strangers  to  dinner." 

Well,  the  little  old  schoolmaster  came  over  in  the  after 
noon  with  a  very  pretty  steam  launch.  The  fishing  was 
not  all  a  pretence.  He  liked  to  fish ;  but  I  never  saw  a 
man  who  listened  as  keenly  as  that  man  did.  And  I  did 
the  talking.  I  let  him  see  that  we  were  engaged  on  a 
big  work  ;  that  in  putting  his  dollars  into  our  packing 
houses  he  wasn't  just  taking  a  flyer,  way  off  at  the  end  of 
the  earth.  I  had  had  some  experience  in  dealing  with 
men  by  this  time ;  it  was  no  raw  young  schemer  who 
came  to  this  party.  And  I  had  observed  that  what  men 
want  when  they  are  thinking  of  putting  their  money  into 
a  new  enterprise  is  to  have  confidence  in  the  men  who 
will  spend  their  dollars.  My  experience  has  shown  me 
that  the  cheapest  thing  to  get  in  this  world  is  money. 
If  you  have  the  ideas,  the  money  will  flow  like  water 
downhill.  At  any  rate,  that  was  the  way  it  worked  with 
good  Mr.  Farson. 

We  stayed  there  in  Deer  Isle  three  days,  and  had 
one  simple  meal  in  the  banker's  house  after  Cousin  Susan 
had  been  duly  warned.  At  the  end  of  the  time  Farson 
thought  he  would  give  us  a  couple  of  hundred  thousand 


THE   STRUGGLE 


189 


dollars  and  take  some  of  our  bonds,  and  he  thought 
maybe  his  brother-in-law  would  take  a  few  more,  and 
also  his  brother-in-law's  brother.  In  short,  Mr.  Farson 
was  the  first  one  in  a  long  row  of  bricks.  He  went  up 
with  us  on  the  Boston  boat,  when  we  started  back,  to 
secure  the  others.  It  was  a  glorious  night  early  in 
August,  and,  after  Slocum  had  gone  to  bed,  the  old 
banker  and  I  sat  up  there  on  the  deck  watching  the  coast 
fade  away  in  the  moonlight.  I  had  never  seen  anything 
like  it  before  in  my  life  —  the  black  rocks  starting  right 


The  black  rocks  startiny  ri<jht  <nit  of  the  water. 

out  of  the  water,  the  stiff  little  fir  trees,  the  steep  hills 
rolling  back  from  the  sea. 

"  This  is  the  prettiest  thing  I  have  ever  seen  ! "  I  ex 
claimed.  "  My  wife  must  come  down  here  next  summer." 

"  Yes,"  the  old  gentleman  replied,  with  evident  pleasure 
in  my  praise  of  his  native  rocks.  "  I  can  tell  you  that 
there  is  very  little  in  the  world  to  compare  with  the  charm 
of  this  coast." 

Then  he  began  to  talk  of  other  lands,  and  I  found  that 
he  had  been  all  over  the  earth.  He  talked  of  Italy,  and 
India,  and  Japan,  and  parts  of  Russia.  After  a  time  he 
began  to  ask  me  questions  about  myself,  and  being  an 


190     THE    MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

easy  talker,  and  happy  over  the  success  we  had  had,  I 
told  him  a  good  deal  of  my  story,  and  how  I  had  come  to 
enter  the  present  undertaking.  It  was  easy  to  tell  him 
things  —  he  had  quick  sympathy  and  was  as  keen  as  a 
boy.  He  seemed  to  approve  of  my  general  plan,  but 
advised  patience. 

"  This  silver  trouble  will  lead  to  a  period  of  bad  times," 
he  remarked. 

"  The  very  time  to  prepare,"  I  retorted. 

"  True,"  he  laughed,  "  when  you  hav.e  the  faith  and 
energy.  But  I  am  an  old  man.  I  wish  to  live  in  peace 
the  rest  of  my  life.  Young  man,  I  have  been  through 
two  panics  and  the  war.  I  lost  a  son  while  I  was  in  the 
Wilderness.  He  would  have  been  about  your  age,"  he 
added,  in  a  far-away  tone. 

That  switched  the  talk  from  business,  and  we  sat  there 
on  deck  until  nearly  dawn,  discussing  religion  all  the  time. 
As  he  bade  me  good-by  at  the  Boston  station  the  next 
evening,  I  remember  his  saying  to  me  with  one  of  the 
pleasantest  smiles  I  ever  saw  on  a  man's  face :  — 

"  Now,  Mr.  Harrington,  I  can  see  that  yours  will  be  a 
busy  life.  Success  will  come  not  merely  in  these  matters, 
but  in  many  others."  He  wagged  his  head  confidently.  "  I 
don't  make  many  mistakes  in  men.  But  if  you  ever  want 
to  have  such  pleasant  talks  as  we  had  last  night,  when 
you  get  to  be  an  old  man  like  me,  you  must  see  to  it  that 
your  hands  are  kept  clean.  Kemember  that,  my  boy  ! " 
And  he  patted  my  shoulder  like  a  father. 

It  was  a  queer  thing  for  one  man  to  say  to  another  at 
f,he  end  of  a  business  day.  I  had  occasion  to  think  of  it 


THE    STRUGGLE  191 

later,  although  at  the  time  I  put  it  down  to  the  old  gen 
tleman's  eccentricity.  We  parted  very  cordially.  I  felt 
that^Mcaluable  ally  had  been  secured  —  one  who  had  it  in 
his'pow/er  to  bring  others  with  him  to  our  aid,  —  and  I 
liked  the  old  boy  himself. 

Among  other  things,  Mr.  Farson  had  asked  me  casually 
about  a  little  line  of  Missouri  railroad  —  the  St.  Louis 
Great  Southern,  it  was  called.  He  and  his  friends  were 
pretty  well  loaded  with  the  securities  of  this  bankrupt 
little  road,  and  the  banker  wanted  me  to  look  into  it  and 
advise  him  what  to  do  with  the  property.  Thus  it  hap 
pened  that  the  St.  Louis  Great  Southern  became  another 
link  in  my  plan  of  conquest.  Altogether  it  was  a  most 
important  connection,  that  between  us  and  Farson's 
crowd,  and  it  was  fortunate  that  Slocum  thought  of 
Cousin  Farson  in  our  hour  of  need. 

All  this  time  there  had  been  building  the  beautiful 
city  of  white  palaces  on  the  lake,  and  it  was  now  open 
for  the  world  to  see  what  Chicago  had  dreamed  and 
created.  Although  it  had  made  me  impatient  to  have 
Mr.  Dround  spend  on  it  his  energy  that  was  needed  in 
his  own  business,  now  that  it  was  accomplished,  in  all 
its  beauty  and  grandeur,  it  filled  me  with  admiration. 

There  were  few  hours  that  I  could  spend  in  its  enjoy 
ment,  but  I  remember  one  evening  after  my  return  from 
the  East  when  we  had  a  family  party  at  the  Fair.  May 
and  Will  were  spending  his  vacation  with  us  during  the 
hot  weather,  and  the  four  of  us,  having  had  our  dinner, 
took  an  electric  launch  and  glided  through  the  lagoons 


192     THE   MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

beneath  the  lofty  peristyle  out  to  the  lake,  which  was  as 
quiet  as  a  pond.  The  long  lines  of  white  buildings  were 
ablaze  with  countless  lights ;  the  music  from  the  bands 
scattered  over  the  grounds  floated  softly  out  upon  the 
water ;  all  else  was  silent  and  dark.  \  In  that  lovely  hour, 
soft  and  gentle  as  was  ever  a  summer  night,  the  toil  and 
trouble  of  men,  the  fear  that  was  gripping  men's  hearts 
in  the  market,  fell  away  from  me,  and  in  its  place  came 

|  Faith.  The  people  who  could  dream  this  vision  and 
make  it  real,  those  people  from  all  parts  of  the  land  who 
thronged  here  day  after  day  —  their  sturdy  wills  and 
strong  hearts  would  rise  above  failure,  would  press  on 
to  greater  victories  than  this  triumph  of  beauty  —  vic 
tories  greater  than  the  world  had  yet  witnessed! 

Nevertheless,  in  spite  of  hopeful  thoughts  like  these, 
none  knew  better  than  I  the  skeleton  that  lay  at  the 
feast,  the  dread  of  want  and  failure  that  was  stealing 
over  all  business.  But  for  that  night  we  were  happy 

(   and  without  fear.  .  .  . 

As  our  launch  drew  up  at  the  landing  beside  the  great 
fountain,  another  launch  glided  by  our  side,  holding  a 
number  of  the  Commissioners  and  some  guests  of  dis 
tinction.  Among  them  were  the  Drounds,  who  had 
entertained  liberally  all  this  season.  The  two  boat 
parties  came  to  shore  together,  and  stood  looking  at  the 
display  of  fireworks.  The  Court  of  Honor  was  thronged 
with  thousands  and  thousands  ;  the  great  fountain  ri}>- 
pled  in  a  blaze  of  light;  the  dark  peristyle  glowed  for 
a  moment  in  the  fantastic  flame  from  the  fireworks. 
I  turned  and  caught  the  light  of  the  illumination 


THE   STRUGGLE  193 

in  the  dark  face  of  Jane  Dround.  She  bowed  and 
smiled. 

"  In  your  honor !  "  she  murmured  half  mockingly,  as  a 
rocket  burst  into  a  shower  of  fiery  spray  in  the  heavens 
above.  "I  hear  that  you  return  from  Boston  victor. 
You  should  hear  Henry !  He  has  no  doubts  now."  She 
laughed  in  high  spirits,  and  we  stood  there  awhile 
gazing. 

"To-night   I  have  no  doubts;    but  to-morrow  —  who 

knows  ?  " 

Her  brows  contracted  seriously. 

"  You  need,  my  friend,  one  great  quality,  and  you  must 
get  it  somehow  — patience  !  " 

"  That  is  true,  but  — 

"  Patience  !  "  she  repeated  slowly  ;  "  the  patience  that 
covers  years.  Perhaps  you  think  that  is  a  woman's 
virtue,  but  men,  too,  must  have  it  if  they  are  to  endure. 
Remember  —  patience  !  Now,  before  any  one  comes,  let 
me  tell  you  :  we  are  to  leave  for  Europe  as  soon  as  the 
Fair  closes.  Do  you  think  that  it  will  be  all  right  by 
that  time?  Say  yes  or  no,"  she  added,  as  we  were 
approached  by  May  and  Sarah. 

"  Yes,"  I  answered  with  a  strange  feeling  of  sadness. 

Once  more,  before  we  left  the  grounds,  I  caught  a 
moment  of  talk  with  Mrs.  Dround. 

"  To  you  the  game  —  the  great  game  !  "  she  exclaimed 
softly.  "And  to  me  the  waiting.  But  remember,  one 
useless  woman  is  watching  across  the  water  every  move 
you  make,  and  when  the  time  comes  that  you  want  help, 
when  you  cannot  go  on  alone  —  " 
o 


"  }Yhen  the  time  comes  that  you  want  help,  when  you  cannot  yo  on 
alone  —  " 


194 


THE   STRUGGLE  195 

It  sounded  like  woman's  sentiment,  and  I  interrupted 
jokingly:  — 

"  When  I  arn  in  the  last  ditch,  cable  you  ?  " 

"  Don't  laugh  at  me !  I  am  more  earnest  than  you 
know.  If  that  time  comes  —  if  you  don't  know  which 
way  to  turn  for  help,  if  you  have  done  all,  and  still  - 

We  were  standing  beside  a  bandstand,  and  at  that 
moment  the  music  crashed  out,  flooding  us  with  deafen 
ing  sound. 

She  pressed  my  hand,  smiled,  and  turned  away.  I 
thought  no  more  of  her  words  then.  But  some  weeks 
later,  before  the  Drounds  sailed  for  Europe,  there  came 
in  my  mail  an  envelope  addressed  in  a  woman's  hand. 
Inside  there  was  only  another  envelope,  marked :  — 

"  For  the  last  ditch  !  " 

I  tossed  it  into  a  drawer,  rather  annoyed  by  the  silli 
ness  of  it  all.  It  was  the  first  evidence  of  weakness  1 
had  ever  detected  in  this  intelligent  woman. 


CHAPTER   XVII 

NO    GOSPEL    GAME 

Elementary  lessons  in  finance,  —  What  is  a  panic?  —  Tlie,  snake  begins 
to  show  si(/)is  of  life  —  An  injunction  of  the  court — Inquiries 
—  Ed  Hostetter  knows  our  man  — How  to  deal  with  a  political 
judye — ISlocum  objects — My  will  prevails — The  injunction  is 
dissolved 

SARAH  and  I  were  sitting  over  our  coffee  one  morning, 
six  months  after  the  Fair  had  closed  its  gates  for  the 
last  time.  Our  second  child,  a  little  girl,  was  but  a  few 
weeks  old,  and  this  was  the  first  morning  that  Sarah 
had  breakfasted  with  me  for  some  weeks.  She  had  been 
glancing  at  the  morning  paper,  and  suddenly  she  looked 
up  from  it  with  wonder  on  her  face. 

"The  Tenth  National  Hank  has  failed.  Isn't  that  Mr. 
Cross's  bank  ?  " 

I  nodded. 

"  Will  the  Crosses  lose  all  their  money  ?" 

"It's  likely  enough  —  what's  left  of  it  —  all  his  and 
her  folks',  too." 

"  Yesterday  some  one  told  me  the  Kentons  were  try 
ing  to  sell  their  place  at  the  lake.  What  does  it  mean? 
Why  are  people  growing  poor  ?  " 

"It's  the  panic,"  I  answered  briefly.  "Business  has 
been  getting  worse  and  worse  ever  since  the  Fair.  Some 

190 


NO   GOSPEL   GAME  197 

think  it  started  with,  the  Fair,  but  the  trouble  goes  back 
of  that." 

She  put  aside  the  paper  and  looked  at  me  seriously. 

"  Van,  what  is  a  panic  ?  " 

It  seemed  strange  that  she  should  ask  such  a  question 
in  a  simple,  childish  way.  But  she  had  been  shut  away 
from  people  and  things  of  late,  and  it  was  not  her  nature 
to  explore  what  was  not  right  in  her  path. 

"A  panic,"  I  replied,  finishing  my  coffee,  "is  hell! 
Now  I  must  run  and  see  what  has  happened  to  us." 

She  looked  at  me  in  round-mouthed  astonishment,  and 
when  I  bent  over  to  kiss  her  good-by,  she  said  reprovingly  : 

"  You  don't  mean  it  could  touch  us,  Van  ?  " 

"  It  might,"  I  smiled,  thinking  of  the  troubled  waters 
where  I  was  swimming. 

"We  must  trust  Providence  —  " 

"  And  me." 

"  Van  !  "  she  kissed  me  with  a  bit  of  reproof.  "  I  wish 
you  would  be  more  religious." 

My  wife  had  been  growing  very  serious  of  late.  Under 
May's  example  she  had  taken  to  church  work  and  at 
tended  religious  classes.  She  and  May  had  discovered 
lately  a  new  preacher,  who  seemed  a  very  earnest  young 
man.  The  Bible  class  he  had  formed  sometimes  met  at 
our  house,  and  Sarah  preferred  to  go  to  his  church,  which 
was  a  long  way  from  our  house,  to  the  church  near  by 
where  we  had  a  pew.  It  made  little  difference  where  I 
was  taken  to  church,  and  I  was  glad  to  have  Sarah 
pleased  with  her  young  preacher.  So  I  kissed  my  wife 
good-by  and  hurried  off,  half  an  hour  late  as  it  was. 


198     THE   MEMOIRS   OF   AN   AMERICAN   CITIZEN 

There  was  trouble  brewing.  It  had  shown  a  hand 
some  months  back,  darkly  and  mysteriously.  One  day, 
while  I  was  East,  a  man  had  walked  into  Slocum's  office, 
introduced  himself  as  a  Henry  A.  Frost,  and  said  that  he 
represented  some  minority  bondholders  of  the  defunct 
London  and  Chicago  Company.  We  knew  that  there 
were  a  few  scattered  bonds  outstanding,  not  more  than 
forty  thousand  dollars  all  told,  but  we  had  never  looked  for 
trouble  from  them.  Mr.  Frost  represented  to  Slocum  that 
his  "syndicate"  did  not  wish  to  make  us  trouble,  but  that 
before  the  property  of  the  London  and  Chicago  concern 
was  finally  turned  over  to  our  corporation  he  wished  to 
effect  a  settlement.  Slocum  asked  him  his  figure  for 
the  bonds  held  by  his  "  syndicate,"  believing  at  the  worst 
that  Frost  would  demand  little  more  than  the  cash  price 
of  fifty.  To  his  astonishment  the  man  wanted  par  and 
interest,  and  when  Slocum  laughed  at  his  proposal,  he 
threw  out  hints  of  trouble  that  might  come  if  his 
"  syndicate  "  were  not  satisfied. 

Slocum  referred  the  matter  to  me,  and  advised  me  to 
seek  some  compromise  with  Frost.  "  For,"  he  said,  "  our 
record  is  not  altogether  clear  in  that  transaction,"  refer 
ring  to  the  sum  we  had  paid  for  services  to  the  treasurer 
of  the  bankrupt  corporation.  This  move  on  the  part  of 
Frost  and  his  associates  was  blackmail,  of  course,  but  the 
lawyer  advised  compromise.  It  would  have  been  the 
wise  thing  to  do ;  but  having  succeeded  so  far,  I  felt  my 
oats  too  much  to  be  held  up  in  this  fashion.  I  refused 
peremptorily  to  deal  with  the  man,  and  Slocum  intimated 
to  him,  when  he  called  for  a  reply,  that  we  would  not 


NO   GOSPEL    GAME  199 

consider  giving  him  more  than  the  other  bondholders  had 
received  ;  namely,  fifty  per  cent  of  the  par  value  of  the 
bonds  he  held  in  new  bonds.  Frost  went  off,  and  we 
had  heard  nothing  more  from  him. 

Meanwhile  we  had  gone  our  way,  making  ready  to  turn 
over  our  properties,  rounding  up  this  matter  and  that, 
guarding  against  the  tight  money  market,  and  quietly 
getting  things  in  order  for  putting  out  our  securities. 
Then  one  day  had  come,  like  a  thunderbolt  from  an 
open  sky,  an  injunction,  restraining  the  American  Meat 
Products  Company  from  taking  over  the  properties  of  the 
London  and  Chicago  Company,  the  petitioners  alleging 
that  they  held  bonds  of  the  latter  concern,  and  that  the 
sale  of  its  properties  to  the  representatives  of  the  Ameri 
can  Meat  Products  Company  had  been  tainted  with  fraud. 
A  Judge  Garretson,  of  the  Circuit  Court,  had  granted  the 
temporary  injunction  one  night  at  his  house,  and  the 
argument  for  the  permanent  decree  was  set  for  April  10, 
a  fortnight  later.  The  names  of  the  petitioners,  all  but 
Frost's,  were  unknown  to  us. 

"  There  is  the  trail  of  the  snake ! "  Slocum  muttered 
when  he  had  read  the  injunction.  "  We  had  better  find 
Lokes.  This  will  be  in  the  papers  to-night,  and  in  the 
Eastern  papers  to-morrow  morning — you  will  hear  from 
it  all  over." 

Sure  enough,  the  next  noon  I  had  a  telegram  from 
Farson  in  Boston :  — 

"Papers  print  injunction  A.  M.  P.  Co.;  charge  fraud. 
Wire  explanation." 

"  Cousin  John  didn't  let  the  grass  grow  under  him," 


200     THE    MEMOIRS   OF   AN   AMERICAN   CITIZEN 

Slocum  grimly  remarked  when  I  handed  him  this  tele 
gram  at  luncheon.  "  You  had  better  let  me  answer  him. 
Now  for  Lokes :  he  denies  all  knowledge,  and  it's  plain 
enough  that  he  isn't  interested  in  having  this  matter 
aired.  But  some  one  must  have  found  out  pretty  accu 
rately  what  has  happened.  Perhaps  Lokes  when  he  was 
drunk  let  out  what  he  had  got  from  us.  Anyhow,  it's 
blackmail,  and  the  question  is  what  are  we  going  to  do 
about  it.  It  will  cost  us  a  pretty  penny  to  settle  now  !  " 

The  situation  was  alarming.  Unless  we  could  get  that 
injunction  dissolved,  and  speedily,  our  project  faced 
serious  danger.  The  banker  Farson's  telegram  was  only 
the  first.  The  banks  and  our  backers  East  and  West 
would  soon  call  us  to  account. 

"It  is  blackmail,"  I  said  to  Sloaum,  "and  if  there  is  a 
way  out  we  will  not  pay  those  rats.  Find  out  what  you 
can  about  them." 

In  a  day  or  two  he  came  over  to  me  with  the  infor 
mation  he  had  obtained.  The  "syndicate"  consisted  of 
three  or  four  cheap  fellows,  hangers-on  of  a  broker's  office. 
One  of  them  happened  to  be  a  relative  of  Judge  Garret- 
son,  who  had  issued  the  midnight  injunction. 

"  I  got  that  last  from  Ed  Hostetter,"  Slocum  explained. 
"  I  met  him  on  the  street  as  I  was  coming  over  here. 
Having  heard  that  this  Lucas  Smith  lived  out  Ed's  way, 
in  May  Park,  I  asked  him  if  he  knew  anything  about  the 
man.  He  said  at  once :  '  You  mean  the  j edge's  brother- 
in-law?  He's  a  political  feller.'  Of  course  this  Smith 
is  a  bum  like  the  rest." 

So  we  had  in  Ed,  who  had  come  back  to  work  for  me, 


203 

NO   GOSPEL   GAME  2u 

having  failed  in  a  market  where  I  had  started  him  after 
the  sausage  plant  was  sold. 

"  Ed,"  I  said  to  him,  "  we  want  you  to  find  out  all  you 
can  about  this  brother-in-law  of  Judge  Garretson's.  See 
if  you  can  learn  how  many  of  those  London  and  Chicago 
bonds  he  holds." 

The  next  morning  Ed  brought  us  the  information  that 
Lucas  Smith  was  willing  enough  to  talk,  boasting  that 
he  and  his  friends  were  going  "  to  tune  up  those  packers 
in  good  style."  Ed  thought  they  had  got  their  tip  from 
one  of  Lokes's  pals.  It  seems  that  Smith  owned,  nomi 
nally,  only  two  of  the  bonds.  And  there  we  were! 
Slocum  rubbed  his  chin,  trying  to  see  light  in  a  dark 
place. 

"  What  sort  of  a  man  is  this  Judge  Garretson  ?  "  I 
asked  the  lawyer. 

"  Good  enough  for  a  political  judge,  I  guess.  He's  up 
for  reelection  this  fall.  There  was  some  talk  about  his 
attitude  in  traction  cases,  but  nothing  positive  against 
him." 

"  See  here,  Ed  !  "  —  I  turned  to  Hostetter  abruptly  - 
"  I  want  you  to  go  straight  out  to  this  Lucas   Smith's 
place  and  find  him.     Tell  him  you  know  where  he  can 
get  twenty-five  thousand  dollars  for  those  two  bonds  of 
his  the  day  Judge  Garretson  dissolves  that  injunction." 

"Hold  on,  Van!"  Slocum  interposed.  "That  is  too 
strong !  I  stuck  by  you  last  time,  but  I  won't  stand  for 
this ! " 

"  Go  on,  Ed  !  "  I  called  out  to  Hostetter  peremptorily. 
"Tell  him  just  that  — the  day  the  injunction  is  dis- 


THE    MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

solved  he  gets  twenty-five  thousand  dollars  for  his  bonds, 
and  the  other  rats  don't  get  a  cent ! " 

Slocum  rose  without  a  word  and  put  on  his  hat.  I  put 
my  hand  on  his  shoulder  and  pushed  him  back  into  his 
chair. 

"  You  aren't  going  to  quit  like  that,  Sloco,  after  all 
these  years !  Think  it  over.  What  else  is  there  for  us 
to  do  ?  Can  we  have  this  business  aired  in  court  ? 
What  will  Farson  say  to  that  story  of  Lokes's  ?  Do  you 
think  we  could  buy  the  bonds  from  those  rats  for  any 
likely  figure  ?  —  for  any  figure,  if  Carmichael  is  waiting 
around  the  corner  to  pick  up  our  cake  when  we  are  forced 
to  drop  it  ?  " 

He  sank  into  the  chair  rather  limp,  and  we  looked  at 
each  other  for  a  minute  or  two. 

"  Well,"  he  said  slowly,  "  it  might  as  well  come  out 
now  as  later." 

"  You  have  got  to  sit  in  the  boat  with  me,  Sloco !  I 
need  you."  I  leaned  across  the  table  and  looked  into  his 
eyes.  Slowly,  after  a  time,  he  nodded,  and  gave  himself 
up  to  me  to  do  my  will.  In  the  heat  of  my  trouble,  I 
scarce  realized  what  that  acquiescence  cost  him :  he 
never  gave  another  sign.  But  it  cost  him,  one  way 
and  another,  more  than  I  ever  could  repay,  —  and  now 
I  know  it. 

We  walked  out  together,  and  as  I  turned  in  the 
direction  of  home  I  said  cheerfully :  — 

"  Once  out  of  this  mess,  old  man,  we  shall  be  on  easy 
street,  and  you  can  buy  a  block  of  those  old  brick  shanties 
back  in  Portland !  " 


NO    GOSPEL    GAME  203 

The  lawyer  smiled  at  my  speech,  but  turned  away 
without  another  word. 

Judge  Garretson  dissolved  the  injunction  in  due  course. 
What  is  more,  he  roasted  the  petitioning  parties  who 
had  entered  his  court  «  with  flimsy  and  fraudulent  pre 
texts."  There  was  a  righteous  flavor  to  his  eloquence 
that  would  have  been  worthy  of  a  better  cause.  Never 
theless,  that  same  evening  Lucas  Smith  collected  his 
price  from  Ed  and  delivered  his  bonds. 

I  turned  to  Slocum,  who  was  with  me  in  court  when 
the  decision  was  handed  down,  and  said  jubilantly :  - 

« That  worked.  They  can't  touch  us  now !  I  guess 
we've  seen  the  end  of  this  business." 

Slocum  demurred  still. 

«  Maybe,  but  I  doubt  it.  You  don't  think  that  Frost 
and  his  pals  are  going  to  sit  quiet  after  such  a  roast? 
They  will  nose  around  to  find  out  who  sold  them  out." 

But  I  did  not  pay  much  heed  to  the  lawyer's  fears. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

THE    STRIKE 

The  labor  question  from  the  inside  —  A  talk  with  strikers —  Tit 
for  tat  all  round  —  A  ticklish  place  for  an  argument  —  My  anar 
chist —  Bluff — It  works — We  call  it  square 

MEANTIME,  for  a  little  entertainment,  we  had  a  strike 
in  one  of  our  Indiana  plants.  At  first  it  didn't  make 
much  difference  :  all  the  packers  had  been  shutting  down 
here  and  there  during  the  cold  months,  and  we  were 
ready  to  close  that  particular  plant. 

But  as  the  severe  winter  of  ?94  passed,  and  the  men 
saw  that  we  were  in  no  hurry  to  start  work  until  better 
times,  they  began  to  get  ugly,  to  set  lire  to  the  build 
ings,  and  do  other  injuries.  There  was  no  police  pro 
tection  to  amount  to  anything  in  any  of  these  country 
places,  and  it  would  cost  too  much  to  keep  a  sufficient 
force  of  hired  detectives  to  guard  the  property. 

It  got  on  toward  spring  and  we  wanted  to  open  the 
place  for  a  short  run,  but  I  was  determined  not  to  give 
in  to  the  union,  especially  since  they  had  taken  to  hurt 
ing  the  property.  There  had  been  a  number  of  strikes 
that  year,  notably  the  great  one  at  Pullman,  followed  by 
the  railroad  trouble.  It  was  a  most  senseless  time  for 
any  man  with  a  job  to  quit  work,  and  the  employers  were 
feeling  pretty  set  about  not  giving  in, 

204 


THE    STRIKE  205 

I  remember  that  about  this  time  some  of  the  preachers 
in  the  city,  and  among  them  the  Keverend  Mr.  Hardman, 
Sarah's  young  man,  got  loose  on  the  strike  question  and 
preached  sermons  that  were  printed  in  the  newspapers. 
Hardman's  ideas  were  called  "  Christian  Socialism,"  and 
it  all  sounded  pretty,  but  wouldn't  work  twenty-four 
hours  in  Chicago.  I  wanted  Sarah  to  try  a  new  minister, 
who  had  sense  enough  to  stick  to  his  Bible,  but  she  was 
loyal  to  Hardman,  and  even  thought  there  might  be  some 
thing  in  his  ideas. 

Well,  it  got  along  into  July,  and  I  concluded  to  run 
down  to  our  Indiana  plant  and  see  what  could  be  done 
with  the  situation.  There  was  a  committee  of  the  union 
waiting  for  me  in  the  superintendent's  office.  We  talked 
back  and  forth  a  considerable  time,  and  finally  I  said :  — 

"  See  here,  boys,  I  want  you  to  come  over  the  plant 
with  me  and  let  me  show  you  what  some  of  you  strikers 
have  done,  and  what  it  will  cost  us  before  we  can  open 
up." 

So  I  tramped  over  the  place  with  the  men,  and  I  pointed 
out  damages  to  the  property  that  would  cost  the  company 
over  ten  thousand  dollars  to  repair. 

"Now,  go  home  and  ask  your  union  if  they  will  stand 
for  that  bill  ?  " 

They  thought  it  was  my  little  joke.  They  could  not 
understand  that  a  union,  if  it  is  to  have  the  power  to 
force  a  rise  in  wages,  must  be  responsible  also  for  the 
damage  done  by  its  members.  Nor  could  they  see  that 
if  the  company  wasn't  making  money,  they  could  not 
make  more  money  out  of  the  company. 


206     THE    MK.MOIIIS    OF    AX    AMKKH'AX    CITIZEN 

At  last,  after  talking  with  the  lot  of  obstinate  Poles 
for  three  hours,  I  turned  them  all  away,  with  the  sugges 
tion  that  they  might  see  a  trainload  of  men  coming  in 
from  the  South  in  about  a  week  if  they  didn't  come  back 
—  for  we  were  going  to  open  on  the  first  of  the  month. 
They  trotted  off  to  a  saloon  to  talk  it  over.  The  super 
intendent  shook  his  head  and  talked  about  a  riot  if  we 
should  try  getting  in  new  men.  Then  he  and  I  went 
over  the  place  together  to  see  about  improvements,  and 
spent  another  hour  looking  into  every  corner  of  the 
building. 

lie  left  me  up  in  the  loft  of  the  main  building,  while 
he  went  back  for  some  plans  that  were  in  the  office. 
I  poked  about  here  and  there  in  the  dusty,  cobwebbed 
place.  There  was  only  rough  scantling  for  a  floor,  and 
below  my  feet  I  could  see  the  gaping  mouths  of  the  great 
vats,  still  filled  with  dirty,  slimy  water.  Pretty  soon  I 
heard  the  tread  of  feet  coming  up  the  stairs.  It  didn't 
sound  like  the  superintendent.  He  was  a  light  man,  and 
this  was  a  heavy  person.  I  called  out  to  the  man  to  take 
care,  as  the  light  was  none  too  good,  and  a  tumble  to  the 
floor  below  into  one  of  those  vats  would  be  no  joke. 
He  did  not  reply,  and  I  was  bending  over  looking  down 
between  the  boards  and  trying  to  make  out  who  it  was, 
when  suddenly  I  felt  myself  grasped  by  the  neck.  I 
straightened  up,  and  both  of  us  came  near  tumbling  over 
backward  through  the  loose  boarding. 

"  Quit  your  fooling  !  "  I  cried,  wondering  what  had  got 
into  the  fellow. 

Then  I  threw  him  off  a  bit  and  could  see  that  I  had  to 


THE   STRIKE  207 

do  with  one  of  those  men  who  had  been  talking  with  me 
down  below  in  the  office. 

"  So  you  get  some  other  help,  you  do,  you  do  ?  "  he 
began  to  spit  at  me.     "  I  know  you  !     I  know  you !  " 

There  was  very  little  light  in  that  loft,  for  the  day  was 
pretty  well  over.     All  that  could  be  seen  by  me  was  a 
stocky,  short  man,  with  a  face  covered  by  a  heavy  beard. 
I  remembered  that  I  had  seen  him  in  the  office  with  the 
other  men,  though  he  had  not  done  any  talking. 
"  Well,"  I  said,  "  what  are  you  after,  John  ?  " 
Considering  my  position,  I  thought  it  was  as  well  to 
speak  good-naturedly.     It  wasn't   just   the  place   for  a 
wrestling  match. 

"I  know  you!"     He  came  forward  again  and   shook 
his  fist  in  my  face.     "  You  are  one  of  the  men  who  mur 
dered  my  friends.     Yes,  you  did  murder  them !  " 
"  You're  drunk,  John,"  I  said  as  coolly  as  I  could. 
"  Yes,  you  do  know.     Seven,  eight  year  ago.     At  the 
trial ! " 

"  So  you  are  an  anarchist !  Those  were  your  friends, 
were  they  ?  " 

"  And  this  time  yust  look  out  for  yourself !  " 
He  made  a  grab  for  me,  and  I  jumped  out  of  his  reach. 
In  doing  so,  I  slipped  on  one  of  the  boards,  and  went 
through  part  way.     In  the  distance  below  me  I  could  see 
those  tough-looking  vats. 

It  was  only  a  question  now  of  how  soon  the  superin 
tendent  would  come.  I  could  not  hear  the  sound  of  his 
steps  below.  Perhaps  my  anarchist  had  settled  him 
first.  In  that  case  there  was  little  help  for  me,  If  I 


208    THE   MEMOIRS   OF   AN  AMERICAN   CITIZEN 


should  struggle,  he  could  kick  me  over  the  edge  as  easily 
as  you  could  brush  off  a  fly  from  the  side  of  a  bowl.  So, 
to  gain  time,  I  thought  I  would  try  to  make  the  man  talk. 

Then,  at  the  last,  I  could  grab 
him  by  the  legs  and  fight  it 
out  in  that  way,  or  pull  him 
down  with  me. 

"  So  you  think   you'll   get 
even  by  killing  me  !     What  is 
the  good  of  that  ?     You'll  be 
caught  the  first  thing,  and  you 
and  your  mates  won't 
get  one  cent  more  for 
your  day's  work  than 
you've  had  before.     I 
count     for     so    much. 
Some  one  else  will  take  my 
place  in  this  business,  and  you 
will   have  the  same  trick   to 
play  over  again.    He  will  boss 


you, 


and 


you 


will  work   for 


He  undertook  to  give  me  a 
lesson  then  and  there  on 
the  riyhts  of  the  anarchist. 


him." 

My  theory  of  life  seemed  to 
amuse  my  earnest  friend,  for 
he  undertook  to  give  me  a  lesson  then  and  there  on  the 
rights  of  the  anarchist. 

"Maybe  all  the  others  like  you  will  get  killed  some 
day,"  he  concluded. 

"Perhaps,  John/'  I  answered.     "  But  you'll  never  kill 
us  all.    That's  one  sure  thing-     And  if  by  any  luck  you 


THE   STRIKE  209 

should  do  away  with  all  my  kind,  your  own  men  would 
take  to  robbing  you  on  a  big  scale  as  they  do  now  on  a 
small  one.  Here,  give  me  your  hand  and  help  me  out." 

Very  likely  his  answer  to  my  bluff  would  be  my  end. \ 
But  I  was  tired  out,  holding  my  two  hundred  pounds 
there  in  the  air  with  my  elbows.  Strangely  enough, 
while  I  watched  him,  waiting  for  him  to  act,  and  expect 
ing  the  last  blow,  I  did  not  seem  to  care  half  as  much  as 
I  should  have  expected  to.  I  thought  of  Sarah  and  the 
children  ;  I  hated  to  leave  the  job  I  had  set  myself  half- 
done,  with  a  lot  of  loose  ends  for  other  folks  to  bungle 
over;  and  it  didn't  look  inviting  down  there  below.  But 
the  fall  alone  would  probably  do  for  me  at  once,  and,  per 
sonally,  my  life  didn't  seem  to  be  of  much  consequence.  J  - 

But  my  anarchist  friend  made  no  move.  It  seemed  to 
trouble  him,  the  way  I  took  his  attack.  So  I  gave  a  great 
heave,  raised  myself  half  up  to  the  girder  where  he  stood, 
and  held  out  my  hand. 

He  took  it !  A  moment  more  I  found  myself  standing 
upright  beside  my  anarchist.  The  next  thing  was  to  in 
duce  him  to  continue  the  discussion  a  fewr  floors  lower 
down,  where  there  would  be  less  likelihood  of  losing  our 
balance  in  the  course  of  a  heated  argument.  But  I  sat 
down,  friendly-like,  on  one  of  the  cross-beams,  and  began 
to  talk. 

"  So  you  are  an  anarchist  ?  Yes,  I  helped  to  hang  your 
friends.  I  had  some  doubts  about  the  matter  then.  But 
just  here,  now,  after  my  experience  with  you,  I  haven't 
any  at  all." 

I  gave  him  a  good  sermon  —  the  gospel  of  man  against 


210     THE   MEMOIRS    OF    AN   AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

man,  as  I  knew  it,  as  I  had  learned  it  in  my  struggles  for 
fortune.  I  showed  him  how  I  was  more  bound  than  he, 
—  bound  hand  and  foot,  for  he  could  run  away,  and  I 
couldn't.  At  bottom  he  wasn't  a  bad  sort  of  fellow,  only 
easily  excited  and  loose-minded.  In  conclusion  I  said  :  — 

"Now  we'll  just  step  down.  I  am  going  home  to  get 
some  supper." 

I  started,  and  he  followed  on  meekly  after  me.  It 
was  a  rather  creepy  feeling  I  had,  going  over  those 
stairs  !  They  were  perfectly  dark  by  this  time,  and  steep. 

"  You'll  try  to  fix  me  for  this  ?  "  the  fellow  said,  when 
we  reached  the  first  floor,  and  I  had  started  toward  the 
office. 

"  I  guess  we'll  call  this  square,"  I  replied,  "  and  forget 
it.  Good  night." 

He  made  a  line  for  the  gate,  and  that  was  the  last  I 
ever  saw  of  him.  I  found  the  superintendent  locked  in 
the  office.  He  had  been  spending  his  time  telephoning 
to  the  nearest  town  for  help. 

Then  I  took  the  train  for  Chicago.  That  experience 
was  the  greatest  bracer  I  had  ever  had  in  my  life.  Hang 
ing  there  with  the  expectation  every  minute  of  dropping 
into  the  vats  below  had  steadied  my  nerves  for  a  good 
long  haul.  And  I  needed  it,  too. 


CHAPTER   XIX 

DENOUNCED 

The  snake  lifts  its  head -My  picture  gets  into  the  newspaper  - 
The  Reverend  Mr.  Hardman  in  his  church  — The  opinions  of 
ministers  — Mr.  Hardman  points  his  finger  at  me  — I  reply  — 
A  scene—The  real  blow  — May  has  her  say  — Women,  religion, 
and  this  earth 

IT  was  the  Saturday  after  my  little  adventure  in 
Indiana.  As  I  was  riding  downtown  in  a  street  car,  my 
eye  was  caught  by  a  coarse  cut  in  the  newspaper  that 
the  man  opposite  me  was  reading.  The  picture  seemed 
in  a  general  way  familiar.  Underneath  it  ran  these  flar 
ing  head-lines:  — 

BRIBERY   OF  A  JUDGE  ! 

OFFICIAL   IN   PACKING   CONCERN   IMPLICATED! 
EXCLUSIVE  STORY   IN  THE    NATIONALIST! 

I  bought  a  copy  of  the  paper,  and  when  I  reached  my 
office  I  read  the  article.  It  was  sprung,  plainly  enough, 
to  hit  Garretson,  who  was  up  for  reelection,  and,  in  the 
main,  they  had  a  straight  story,  —  Lokes,  Frost,  the 
judge's  brother-in-law,  and  all.  And  the  right  figures, 
too !  The  reference  to  Slocum  and  me  was  vague,  and 
Ed  was  left  out  altogether.  My  picture  was  put  in  along 
side  of  the  judge's  and  labelled  "  Yice-President  and 


211 


212     THE    MKMOIKS    OF    AN     AMERICAN    (MTI/KN 

General  Manager  of  the  American  Meat  Products  Com 
pany."  The  inference  was  plain,  and  the  paper  wouldn't 
have  dared  to  go  so  far,  I  judged,  if  they  hadn't  their  facts 
where  they  could  produce  them.  There  was  no  word  of 
the  story  in  the  other  morning  papers.  I  folded  up  the 
article  and  put  it  away  in  my  desk,  then  telegraphed 
Slocuin,  who  had  gone  to  St.  Louis  on  some  railroad  busi 
ness  for  Farson  and  me. 

Luckily,  the  Nationalist  was  not  a  sheet  that  ever 
found  its  way  into  my  house,  but  that  evening  I  looked 
apprehensively  at  Sarah.  She  was  pale  and  quiet,  —  she 
had  been  downtown  all  day  shopping,  —  but  she  said 
nothing  to  indicate  that  she  was  specially  disturbed.  The 
next  day  was  Sunday,  and  though  Mr.  Hardinan's  preach 
ing  was  not  much  to  my  liking,  I  drove  over  with  Sarah 
to  the  little  church  on  the  Xorth  Side  where  he  held 
forth.  There  was  a  pretty  large  congregation  that  morn 
ing,  mostly  women  and  poor  people  of  the  neighborhood, 
with  a  few  North  Side  men  whom  I  knew  in  a  business 
way. 

The  Reverend  Mr.  Ilardinan  never  preached  a  good 
sermon  that  he  had  written  out  beforehand.  He  was 
one  of  those  Episcopal  preachers  who  come  out  in  front 
of  the  chancel  rail,  cross  their  hands,  look  down  011  the 
floor,  and  meditate  a  few  minutes  to  get  their  ideas  in 
flow.  Then  they  raise  their  eyes  in  a  truly  soulful  man 
ner  and  begin.  But  to-day,  for  some  reason,  Mr.  Hard- 
man  didn't  go  through  his  trick.  He  inarched  out  MS  it 
he  had  something  on  his  mind  to  get  rid  of  quick,  and 
shot  out  his  text :  — 


DENOUNCED  218 

"  What  shall  it  profit  a  man  if  lie  gain  all  and  lose  his 
own  soul  ?  " 

Then  he  began  talking  very  distinctly,  pausing  every 
now  and  then  after  he  had  delivered  a  sentence.  He  said 
that  we  had  fallen  on  evil  days;  that  corruption  was 
abroad  in  the  land,  polluting  the  springs  of  our  national 
life.  And  the  law  breakers  came  and  went  boldly  in  our 
midst,  the  rich  and  powerful,  the  most  envied  and  socially 
respected.  Every  one  knows  the  style  of  his  remarks 
from  that  introduction.  Most  preachers  nowadays  feel 
that  they  must  say  this  sort  of  thing  once  or  twice  a 
year,  or  their  people  won't  believe  they  read  the  papers. 
So  long  as  he  kept  out  in  the  open  I  had  no  objection 
to  his  volleys.  I  had  heard  it  all  before,  and  in  the 
main  I  agreed  with  him  —  only  he  saw  but  a  little  way 
into  the  truth. 

Suddenly  his  right  arm,  which  had  been  hanging 
limp  by  his  side,  shot  out,  and  as  we  were  sitting  pretty 
well  up  front  on  the  main  aisle  it  seemed  to  point  at 
us.  Sarah  gave  a  little  start,  and  her  cheeks  flushed 
red. 

"  And  I  say,"  the  minister  thundered,  "  that  when  such 
men  come  into  our  churches,  when  they  have  the  effron 
tery  to  mingle  with  God-fearing  people,  and,  unrepentant 
of  their  crimes,  desecrate  this  sanctuary,  yea,  partake  of 
the  Holy  Body,  I  say  it  is  worse  for  them  than  if  they 
were  mere  common  thieves  and  robbers  !  I  tell  you,  my 
people,  that  here  in  our  very  midst  one  of  tli  3m  comes  — 
a  man  who  has  defied  the  laws  of  man  and  God,  the  most 
sacred;  who  has  corrupted  the  source  of  justice;  who 


214     THE   MEMOIRS    OF   AN    AMERICAN   CITIZEN 

has  bought  that  which  the  law  denied  him !  This  man 
has  used  .  .  ." 

I  had  been  getting  angry,  and  was  looking  the  minister 
in  the  eye  pretty  fiercely.  At  that  moment  Sarah  gave  a 
little  groan.  She  was  very  white. 

"  Come  !  "  I  whispered  to  her,  getting  up.  "  Come. 
It's  .time  you  got  out  of  this." 

At  first  she  shook  her  head,  but  as  I  refused  to  sit 
down  she  rose  to  follow  me.  I  had  stepped  to  the  aisle 
and  turned  to  give  Sarah  my  arm  when  she  fainted  — 
just  sank  down  with  a  groan  in  my  arms. 

"  So  this  is  the  gospel  you  preach ! "  I  called  out  to 
the  minister,  who  had  paused  and  now  stepped  forward 
to  help  me  raise  Sarah.  "  Let  her  alone  !  You  have  hit 
her  hard  enough  already.  Another  time  when  you  under 
take  this  kind  of  business,  you  had  better  know  what  you 
are  talking  about." 

He  stepped  back  to  his  desk  and  kept  silent,  while  I 
and  one  of  the  ushers  who  had  come  forward  to  help  me 
lifted  Sarah  and  carried  her  to  the  door.  When  we  got 
to  the  end  of  the  aisle  Sarah  opened  her  eyes  and  stood  up. 

"  I  have  had  enough  of  your  gospel,  my  friend ! "  I 
called  back.  "  I  am  going  where  I  shall  hear  religion 
and  not  newspaper  scandal." 

Sarah  groaned  and  pulled  gently  at  my  arm.  Once 
in  the  carriage,  she  turned  her  face  to  the  window  and 
looked  out  as  if  she  were  still  shocked  and  sick.  I  tried 
to  say  something  to  comfort,  but  I  could  only  think  of 
curses  for  that  meddlesome  Pharisee,  who  thought  it  was 
his  duty  to  judge  his  flock. 


DENOUNCED  215 

"  Don't  talk  about  it !  "  Sarah  exclaimed,  as  if  my 
words  gave  her  pain. 

So  we  rode  home  in  silence  all  the  way.  At  the  end 
she  turned  to  me  :  — 

"  Just  say  it  isn't  true,  Van  !  " 

I  began  to  say  a  few  words  of  explanation. 

"No,  just  say  it  isn't  true!"  she  interrupted.  "I 
can't  understand  all  that  you  are  saying.  Just  say  that 
you  haven't  done  anything  wrong.  That's  all  I  want." 

"  Some  people  would  think  it  was  wrong,  Sarah,"  I 
had  to  say  after  a  while. 

She  gave  a  little  groan  and  shut  her  lips  tight.  When 
we  entered  the  house  May  was  there,  with  her  children. 

"  Why,  my  land ! "  she  exclaimed  on  seeing  us. 
"What  brings  you  people  back  so  soon?  Sarah  looks 
sick ! " 

Sarah  was  ready  to  faint  again.  May  helped  her 
up  to  her  room,  and  I  went  into  my  study.  Pretty  soon 
May  came  down  to  me. 

"What's  the  matter  with  Sarah,  Van?"  she  asked 
sharply.  "  She  seems  all  queer  and  out  of  her  head." 

Then  I  told  her  what  had  happened. 

"Did  you  see  the  piece  in  the  paper  ?  "  I  asked  at  the 
end. 

May  shook  her  head.  "But  I  shouldn't  wonder  if 
Sarah  had  seen  it." 

"  Why  do  you  think  so  ?  "  I  asked. 

"Why,  she  seemed  troubled  about  something  yester 
day  when  she  came  into  the  house  after  she  had  been 
downtown  shopping.  She  asked  me  whether  I  generally 


216     THK    MKMOIKS    OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITI/KN 

believed  the  things  I  saw  in  the  papers.  I  asked  her 
what  kind  of  tilings,  and  she  said,  —  'Scandals  about 
people  in  business.'  I  thought  it  was  queer  at  the 
time." 

"  She  won't  talk  to  me  about  it,"  I  said. 

May  didn't  make  any  reply  to  this,  and  we  sat  there 
some  time  without  talking.  Then  May  asked  in  a  queer 
little  voice :  — 

"  Tell  me,  Van,  is  there  anything  in  that  story  ?  Is  it 
true  in  the  least  way  ?  " 

"  I'll  tell  you  just  how  it  was,"  I  answered. 

May  was  not  the  kind  of  person  that  could  be  put  off 
with  a  general  answer,  and  I  was  glad  to  give  her  the 
inside  story.  So  I  told  her  the  circumstances  of  the 
case.  "It  was  blackmail  and  robbery  —  the  judge  was 
waiting  to  be  bought.  These  rats  stood  between  us 
and  what  we  had  a  perfect  right  to  do.  There's  hardly 
a  business  man  in  this  city  who,  under  the  circumstances, 
would  not  have  done  what  we  did  !  " 

"  I  don't  believe  that ! "  May  exclaimed  in  her  sharp, 
decisive  little  way. 

She  sat  looking  at  me  rather  sternly  with  the  same 
look  on  her  face  that  I  had  remembered  for  twenty 
years.  And  the  next  thing  that  she  said  was  pretty 
much  what  I  thought  she  was  going  to  say :  - 

"Van,  you  are  always  a  great  hand  to  think  what  you 
s  want  to  believe  is  the  only  thing  to  believe  !  You  know 
that ! " 

She  smiled  unconsciously,  with  Hie  little  ironical 
ripple  which  I  knew  so  well,  and  1  smiled,  too.  I 


DENOUNCED  217 

couldn't  help  myself.  We  both  seemed  to  have  gone 
back  to  the  old  boy  and  girl  days.  But  I  was  angry,  as 
well,  and  began  to  defend  myself. 

"No,"  she  interrupted.  "It  isn't  a  mite  of  use  for 
you  to  bluster  and  get  angry,  Van.  I  don't  trust  you  ! 
I  haven't  for  some  time.  I  have  been  worried  for  Will. 
Don't  you  let  him  mix  himself  up  in  your  ways  of  doing 
things,  Van  Harrington  !  " 

"  If  he  is  so  terribly  precious,"  I  said  hotly,  "  I  guess 
you  had  better  take  him  back  to  Jasonville." 

"Maybe  I  shall,"   she  answered  quietly.      "I'd  take 
him  to  the  meanest  little  place  in  creation  rather  than  • 
know  he  had  done  any  such  thing  as  you  say  you  have 
done  ! " 

We  were  both  pretty  angry  by  this  time,  and  yet  we ) 
both  smiled.  She  was  such  a  snappy,  strong  little 
woman  —  I  admired  her  all  the  time  she  was  making 
me  angry !  Somehow  it  brought  back  all  that  time  long 
ago  when  I  had  thought  the  world  began  and  ended 
with  her.  We  had  never  been  so  near  each  other  since. 
And  I  think  she  felt  somewhat  in  the  same  way. 

"  Well,"  I  said  at  last,  "  I  am  not  going  to  fight  this 
thing  out  with  you,  May,  or  with  any  other  woman. 
I  have  too  much  else  on  hand.  I  am  answerable  for  all 
I  do  or  have  done.  If  you  and  Will  don't  like  my 
company,  why,  we  have  got  to  do  without  you." 

I  wished  I  hadn't  been  so  small  as  to  make  that  fling. 
She  flashed  a  look  at  me  out  of  her  eyes  that  brought 
me  to  my  senses  in  a  moment.  I  took  her  by  the 
shoulders.  "  See  here,  May,  we  mustn't  quarrel.  Let's 


218     THE    MEMOIRS    OF   AN    AMERICAN   CITIZEN 

all  hang  together  in  this,  as  in  other  things.     You  women 
don't  know  what  business  means." 

She  smiled  back  into  my  eyes  and  retorted,  "  Tt 
seems  to  be  just  as  well  we  don't !  "  In  a  moment  more 
she  added:  "But  you  mustn't  think  that  I  can  make  up 
like  this.  You  and  I  don't  look  at  things  in  the  same  way." 

"  Never  did !  "  I  said  dryly.  "  At  any  rate,  you  had 
better  go  up  now  and  look  after  Sarah.  She  can't  keep 
on  this  way.  She's  got  to  look  at  this  more  sensibly. 
She  isn't  like  you,  May  !  " 

"  No,"  May  retorted,  "  she  isn't !  But  this  hurts  her, 
too.  Perhaps  she  cares  more  what  folks  say  than  I  do. 
And  she  believes  in  her  religion,  Van." 

"That's  all  right.  Her  religion  tells  her  to  forgive, 
and  not  to  judge,  and  a  few  other  sensible  truths,  which 
that  minister  seemed  to  forget  to-day." 

"I  never  expected  to  see  you,  Van  Harrington,  asking 
for  quarter  in  that  way  !  "  she  flashed. 

Then  she  went  back  to  Sarah.  What  my  sister-in-law 
said  set  me  to  thinking  queer  thoughts.  I  admired  the 
way  she  took  the  matter,  though  it  made  me  pretty  angry 
at  the  time.  It  seemed  straight  and  courageous,  like  her. 
If  we  had  married,  down  there  at  home  in  the  years  past, 
there  would  have  been  some  pretty  lively  times  between 
us.  I  could  never  have  got  her  to  look  at  things  my  way. 
and  I  don't  see  how  I  could  have  come  to  see  things  her 
way.  For  in  spite  of  all  the  preacher  and  May  had  to 
say>  my  feeling  was  unchanged :  women  and  clergy,  they 
were  both  alike,  made  for  some  other  kind  of  earth  than 
this.  I  was  made  for  just  this  earth,  good  and  bad  as 
it  is,  —  and  I  must  go  my  way  to  my  end. 


CHAPTER   XX 

TREACHERY 

Who  was  the  traitor  ?—  Slocum' s  logic  — We  send  for  our  accom 
plice  One  look  is  enough —  The  poison  of  envy  —  /  see  the  last 

of  an  old  friend —  Slocum  points  the  moral  —  What  people  know 
—  Public  opinion  —  Cousin  Parson  again  —  We  lunch  at  a 
depot  restaurant  —  I  touch  granite 

THE  Monday  morning  after  Mr.  Hardman's  outbreak, 
Slocum  was  waiting  for  me  at  my  office.  In  reply  to 
my  telegram  he  had  come  back  from  St.  Louis,  where 
he  had  been  attending  to  some  business  in  connection 
with  Farson's  railroad. 

"  They  got  it  pretty  straight  this  time,"  was  all  he  said 
as  a  greeting,  with  a  car-worn  sort  of  smile. 

"  They  can't  prove  it !  We'll  bring  suit  for  libel.  I 
must  put  myself  straight  —  for  family  reasons." 

But  the  lawyer  shook  his  head  doubtfully. 

"  That  wouldn't  be  safe,  Van !  It's  too  close  a  guess. 
I  rather  think  they've  got  all  the  proof  they  want." 

"Where  did  they  get  it,  then?  Not  out  of  Lokes. 
He  hasn't  any  reason  to  squeal.  Nor  the  judge,  nor 
his  brother-in-law ! " 

"Of  course  not;  but  how  about  Frost?  This  is  the 
way  I  figure  it  out :  when  those  rats  were  euchred  in 
their  hold-up  game  by  Garretson's  dismissing  his  injunc- 

219 


220     THE   MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

tion,  they  were  mad  enough  and  determined  to  find 
out  who  sold  them.  It  didn't  take  them  long  to  see 
that  the  judge  had  been  fixed  in  some  way.  They 
nosed  around,  and  spotted  the  judge's  brother-in-law 
as  the  one  who  made  the  trade.  Then  they  started 
out  to  get  proof." 

«  Well  ?  " 

Slocum  looked  at  me  shrewdly. 

"I  have  been  thinking  about  that  all  the  way  back 
from  St.  Louis.  There  is  only  one  man  left  in  the  com 
bination." 

We  stared  at  each  other  for  a  minute. 

"  You  don't  mean  him ! "  I  gasped. 

"  Who  else  ?  " 

"Not  Hostetter  — not  Ed  !  " 

"  Send  for  him,  and  we'll  find  out,"  he  answered 
shortly. 

I  telephoned  out  to  our  office  in  the  Yards  to  send 
Hostetter  to  the  city,  and  while  we  waited  we  discussed 
the  story  in  all  its  bearings. 

"  We've  got  the  trick,"  Slocum  commented  in  reply  to 
my  desire  for  action.  "And  Marx,  who  managed  this 
business  for  Carmichael,  is  shrewd  enough  to  see  it. 
They  won't  bother  us." 

There  was  some  comfort  in  that  reflection :  no  matter 
what  the  scandal  might  be,  we  had  the  London  and 
Chicago  properties  in  our  possession,  and  nothing  short 
of  a  long  fight  in  court  could  wrest  them  from  our  control. 

"  The  only  thing  to  do,"  the  lawyer  continued,  "  is  to 
keep  quiet.  The  papers  will  bark  while  the  election  is 


TKEACHEKY  221 

on,  and  it  looks  mighty  bad   for   Garretson.     But   out! 
here  most  people  forget  easily." 

It  was  queer  to  hear  old  Slocum  talking  in  that  cyni-1 
cal  tone,  as  if,  having  accepted  the  side  that  was  not  to  '• 
his  taste,  he  took  pleasure  in  pointing  out  its  safety. 

"  Well,"  I  grumbled,  thinking  of  May  and  Sarah,  "  it's 
mighty  uncomfortable  to  be  held  up  by  rats  like  Lokes, 
Frost,  and  company,  and  then  be  branded  as  a  briber ! " 

"  What  do  you  care  ?  "  Slocum  asked  harshly.  "  It 
won't  hurt  you  much.  You'll  make  money  just  the 
same,  and  there  aren't  many  who  would  lay  this  up  against 
you.  Of  course,  there  are  always  a  few  who  are  shrewd 
enough  to  guess  just  about  what  has  happened,  and 
remember,  —  yes,  remember  a  story  for  years  !  But  you 
don't  care  for  their  opinion  !  " 

I  knew  that  he  was  thinking  of  the  honest  men  in  his 
own  profession,  the  honorable  men  at  the  head  of  the 
bar,  who  would  mark  him  henceforth  as  my  hired  man. 

Hostetter  arrived  soon,  a  shifty  look  in  his  eyes. 
He  had  changed  a  good  deal  since  that  time  he  had  slept 
out  on  the  lake  front.  He  was  a  heavy  man,  now,  with 
a  fleshy  face,  and  his  dress  showed  a  queer  love  for  loud 
finery.  He  wore  a  heavy  seal  ring,  and  a  paste  diamond 
in  his  tie,  which  was  none  too  clean.  His  sandy  mustache 
dropped  tight  over  his  mouth.  Yet  in  spite  of  his  dress 
and  his  jewellery,  he  was  plainly  enough  the  countryman 
still. 

"Ed,"  I  said  at  once,  "have  you  been  talking  to  any 
one  about  that  matter  of  the  bonds  —  the  deal  with 
Lucas  Smith?" 


222     THE    MKMOI1IS    OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

He  glanced  at  Slocum  and  then  at  me.  One  look  at 
his  face  was  enough:  the  story  was  there. 

"  You  low  dog !  "  I  broke  out. 

Slocum  tried  to  hush  me.  Hostetter  muttered  some 
thing  about  not  knowing  what  we  were  talking  about. 

"You're  lying,  Ed!  Tell  me  the  whole  truth.  Did 
you  sell  what  you  knew  to  the  Nationalist,  or  to  Frost 
and  his  crowd  ?  " 

He  became  stubborn  all  at  once,  and  refused  to  answer, 
I  turned  to  the  lawyer :  — 

"  See  that  man  !  I  picked  him  out  of  the  bankruptcy 
court  two  years  ago,  after  giving  him  his  third  start  in 
business.  Last  winter  I  sent  his  wife  South  and  kept 
her  there  six  months  so  that  she  could  get  well." 

I  turned  to  Ed. 

"  Whose  bread  are  you  eating  now,  to-day  ?  " 

He  picked  up  his  hat  and  started  for  the  door.  But 
I  called  him  back.  It  came  over  me  all  at  once  what  we 
had  been  through  together,  and  I  couldn't  let  him  leave 
that  way,  sneak  out  of  my  sight  for  good  and  all. 

"  Tell  me,  Ed,"  I  asked,  more  miserable  than  he,  "  are 
you  going  over  to  Carmichael  to  get  some  more  pay  for 

this  ?  " 

"Maybe,  if  I  did,"  he  replied  sullenly,  "it'd  be  some 
better  than  it  is  working  for  you." 

"I  don't  think  so  — not  long.  Folks  like  you  aren't 
worth  much.  Come,  Ed !  Did  I  ever  do  a  mean  thing 
to  you  ?  Didn't  I  give  fifteen  cents  when  we  hadn't  but 
twenty  between  us?  What  were  you  thinking  when 
you  did  this  dirty  piece  of  business  ?  Just  tell  me  you 


TREACHERY 

were  drunk  when  you  did  it.  I  would  have  given  you 
ten  times  as  much  as  you  ever  got  from  them  to  know 
you  couldn't  do  it !  " 

Then  he  began  to  go  to  pieces  and  cry,  and  he  told  me 
all  I  wanted  to  know.  It  was  a  plain  case  of  the  poison 
of  envy.  I  was  rich  and  on  top,  and  he  was  working  for 


"!'OM  have  done  something  the  taste  of  which  will  never  get  out  of 
your  mouth." 

thirty  dollars  a  week  for  me.  His  wife,  who  had  always 
kept  a  grudge  against  me  for  not  making  up  to  her  in  the 
old  days,  had  taunted  him  for  taking  his  wages  from  me. 
She  kept  telling  him  that  I  did  nothing  for  him,  and 
when  she  found  out  about  his  dealing  with  Lucas  Smith 


224     THK    M  KM 01 .RS    OF    AN    AMERICAN   CITIZEN 

for  me,  she  saw  her  chance.  Somehow  Frost  got  on  his 
track,  and  evidently  they  thought  his  information  was 
worth  paying  something  for.  That  was  the  whole  story. 

While  we  were  talking,  Slocum  slipped  out  of  the  room. 
It  was  a  pitiful  scene. 

"  Ed,"  I  said  Finally,  "  you  must  go  back  to  the  coun 
try.  That  is  the  only  place  for  you.  You'll  grow  worse 
in  the  city  the  longer  you  stay.  Your  belly's  got  bigger 
than  your  brain,  and  your  heart  is  tainted  at  the  core. 
I  will  start  you  ou  a  ranch  I've  got  in  Texas.  Think  it 
over  and  get  out  of  this  place  as  soon  as  you  can.  I'm 
sorry  for  you,  Ed.  For  you  have  done  something  the 
taste  of  which  will  never  get  out  of  your  mouth." 

He  left  my  office  without  a  word,  and  that  was  the  last 
I  ever  saw  of  him.  When  he  had  gone  Slocum  came 
back  and  sat  down. 

"  It  was  a  pretty  tough  thing  for  Ed  to  do,"  he  re 
marked  calmly,  looking  out  into  the  muddy  street,  where 
men  were  hurrying  along  the  pavements.  I  made  no 
remark,  and  he  added  in  the  same  far-off  tone  of  voice : 
"  That's  the  worst  of  any  piece  of  crooked  business :  it 
breaks  up  the  man  you  work  with.  Ed  is  a  rascal  now 
—  and  he  was  never  that  before  !  " 

"  That's  true  enough,"  I  assented  gloomily. 

Slocum  advised  me  to  leave  the  city  for  a  while, 
because  should  the  Nationalist  charges  be  investigated 
by  the  Grand  Jury,  it  might  be  awkward  for  me.  But 
1  refused  to  leave  the  city  :  no  matter  what  happened, 
I  was  not  the  man  to  run  and  hide.  The  Democratic 
papers  made  all  they  could  out  of  the  affair,  and  then 


TREACHERY  225 

after  the  election  it  died  away.    Garretson  was  reflected, 
and  that  was  a  kind  of  vindication  for  him. 

But  the  insiders  in  the  city  knew  that  something  had 
been  wrong,  and,  as  Slocum  said,  the  scandal  connected 
with  quashing  that  injunction  followed  us  for  many 
years.  It  was  of  less  importance  to  me  than  to  Slocum  ; 
for  the  men  with  whom  I  dealt  were  used  to  stories  like 
mine.  They  believed  what  they  had  a  mind  to,  and  did 
business.  But  for  Slocum  it  was  more  serious. 

The  worst  of  it  for  me  was  at  home.  Sarah  brooded 
over  the  newspaper  talk  until  she  was  morbid,  refusing 
to  go  almost  anywhere  she  would  be  likely  to  meet 
people  she  knew.  The  Bible  classes  had  been  given  up, 
and,  naturally  enough,  we  never  went  back  to  Mr.  Hard- 
man's  church,  nor  returned  to  our  old  church.  Sarah  and 
I  talked  about  it  once  or  twice,  but  we  got  nowhere. 

"  I    should  think  you  would  care  for   the  children !  " 

.she  would  cry,  persisting  in  considering  me  as  a  criminal. 

"You'll  see  that  it  won't  make  the  smallest  difference  to 

any  one  a  year  hence,  if  you'll  only  hold  up  your  head ! " 

«  Well,  I  don't  understand  business,  but  May  thinks  it 

pretty  bad,  I  know,  because  she  doesn't  come  to  the  house 

any  more  when  you  are  at  home." 

"She  has  no  reason  to  act  that  way.  And  I  don't 
mean  to  have  you  or  May  or  any  other  woman  holding 
me  up  with  your  notions  of  what's  right  .and  wrong,  just 
because  the  newspapers  make  a  lot  of  talk." 

That  ended  the  matter  between  us  ;  but  for  a  long 
time  Sarah  avoided  oui-  old  friends,  and  the  house  was 
unusually  quiet. 


226     Till-;    MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN   CITIZEN 

What  troubled  me  more  than  the  racket  in  Chicago 
was  the  way  that  Dround  and  Farson  and  a  few  other  of 
our  backers  might  take  the  story.  The  Drounds  were  in 
Egypt,  but  they  would  hear  the  news  quickly  enough. 
Mr.  Dround  was  the  president  of  our  corporation,  and 
the  most  influential  single  stockholder.  With  his  ideas, 
he  might  become  a  nuisance,  or  draw  out  altogether, 
which  would  be  awkward  in  the  present  condition  of  the 
company. 

As  for  Farson,  I  always  counted  a  good  deal  on  that 
crusty  bit  of  rock,  and  he  had  never  failed  me  yet.  One 
thing  after  another  had  come  up  in  the  last  four  years, 
and  he  and  his  friends  had  backed  me  solidly.  We  were 
pretty  deep  in  other  enterprises  than  this  packing  busi 
ness —  railroads  and  land  in  that  Southwest  where 
I  had  setmy  eyes.  While  the  scandal  was  the  worst 
we  never  heard  a  word  from  Farson,  and  I  was  con 
gratulating  myself  that  he  had  overlooked  the  matter, 
when  one  morning  I  received  a  despatch :  "  Meet  me 
Union  Station  twelve  to-morrow.  FAKSOX."  That 
was  all. 

When  he  got  out  of  the  sleeper  that  noon  I  missed 
his  usual  warm  smile.  He  refused  my  invitation  to 
lunch  at  the  City  Club,  and  led  the  way  into  the  fly- 
specked,  smelly  restaurant  at  the  station.  We  ate  our 
miserable  meal,  and  he  said  little  while  I  talked  to  him 
about  our  affairs.  It  was  like  talking  to  a  blank  wall : 
he  listened  but  said  nothing.  After  a  while  he  inter 
rupted  me  in  a  kind  of  thin  whisper,  as  if  his  mind  had 
been  absent  all  the  time :  — 


TREACHERY 


227 


«  What  about  this  Judge  Garretson  ?     It  isn't  true  ?  " 

"  You  mean  what  the  papers  say  ?  " 

The  old  gentleman  didn't  like  newspapers.  But  he 
waived  that  aside  with  a  frown. 

"  The  facts ! "  he  whispered  across  the  table.  "  I  should 
not  have  mentioned  it  had  it  not  been  for  a  conversation 
which  I  had  the  other  day  in  New  York  with  Judge 
Sloan,  of  the  Chicago  bar.  He  tells  me  that  it  is  gener 
ally  believed  to  be  true  that  this  Garretson  was  bribed, 
and  that  my  old  friend  Jeff  Slocum  was  mixed  up  in  it. 
He  says  that  Slocum  has  lost  his  reputation  among  the 
best  men  of  the  profession  on  account  of  his  connection 
with  this  scandal.  What  are  the  facts  ?  " 

"This  is  hardly  the  place  to  go  into  all  that,"  I  replied 
somewhat  tartly. 

"  I  don't  know  but  that  the  place  is  good  enough,"  the 
banker  observed  dryly,  "  provided  you  have  the  right 
things  to  say."  But  he  took  the  frost  out  of  his 
severe  tone  by  one  of  his  most  genial  smiles,  and 
added  more  gently :- 

"Perhaps  you  young  men  don't  realize  how  serious  it 
is  to  have  such  rumors  get  around  about  your  reputation. 
Why,  my  boy,  it  puts  you  in  another  class !  You  are  no 
longer  gentlemen,  who  can  be  trusted  with  honest  people's 
money  and  confidence." 

Farson  would  be  a  hard  man  to  bring  to  my  point  of 
view  !  I  said  by  way  of  allegory  :  — 

"  When  a  man  comes  out  of  the  alley  and  puts  a  pistol 
in  your  face,  and  asks  for  all  the  money  you  have  on  you, 
you  don't  wait  to  see  where  you  hit  him,  do  you  ?  We  don't 


228     THE  MEMOIRS   OF   AN   AMERICAN   CITIZI-X 

here  in  Chicago.  The  men  who  are  making  all  this  talk 
were  the  hold-ups,  and  they  did  not  get  our  money."  I 
laughed. 

But  he  did  not  laugh  with  me  — instead,  he  shut  up 
like  a  clam  all  at  once.  He  finished  his  corned  beef 
hash  and  tea,  making  a  few  remarks  about  the  train 
service  on  the  road  lie  had  come  over.  1  asked  him 


11  \VUni  a  man  come*  out  of  the  alley  and  puts  a  pixtol  in  your  face, 
and  auks  for  all  the  money  you  have  on  you,  you  don't  wait  to 
see  wliere  you  hit  him,  do  you  ?  " 

some  questions  about  our  railroad  matters,  but  he  merely 
mumbled  "Urn,  urn"  to  all  I  had  to  say.  Finally  he 
said  with  his  usual  calm  courtesy  that  he  had  some 
letters  to  write,  and  as  the  train  for  the  West  he  was 
to  take  did  not  leave  for  some  time  he  would  not  detain 
me,  but  would  go  upstairs  to  the  waiting-room  and  write 
his  letters.  So  he  seized  his  worn  old  grip  and  marched 
off. 


TREACHERY  229 

"  Cursed  old  Maine  Yankee/'  I  said  to  myself,  and  I 
repeated  the  remark  over  the  telephone  to  Slocum,  tell 
ing  him  the  result  of  my  luncheon  with  the  banker. 

"  Maybe  so,"  the  lawyer  telephoned  back.  "  But  we 
can't  afford  to  let  him  get  his  back  up." 

"It's  up  already  —  he's  been  talking  with  Sloan,  and  I 
gather  the  judge  didn't  speak  highly  of  you  or  me." 

"  I  suppose  not,"  came  the  answer  over  the  wire,  and 
Slocum's  voice  sounded  dreary.  "That  kind  of  thing 
dies  hard." 

It  was  dying  hard,  and  no  doubt  about  it ! 


CHAPTEK   XXI 

A    SQUEEZE 

The  great  fit  of  dumps  —  Keeping  afloat  —  Interest  on  bonds  —  A 
sudden  financial  frost  —  Strauss  stums  his  hand — I  beard  the 
lion  in  his  den  — He  soars— I  give  him  food  for  thought  — 
The  thermometer  rises  once  more  —  They  treat  me  with  con 
sideration  at  the  bank 

As  every  one  knows,  the  recovery  of  business  froir 
that  awful  fit  of  depression  which  followed  '93  was  slow. 
At  times  it  would  seem  that  the  country  was  ready  to 
throw  off  its  fit  of  sickness  and  begin  to  grow  again. 
Then  there  would  come  along  some  new  set-back,  and  we 
were  all  in  the  dumps  once  more. 

It  had  been  a  great  fight  to  keep  the  Meat  Products 
Company  afloat  during  these  hard  times.  It  was  all  we 
could  do  to  pay  our  fixed  charges,  which  were  heavy,  as 
most  of  the  concerns  that  formed  the  corporation  had 
demanded  bonds  in  payment  for  their  properties  before 
they  would  consent  to  join  us.  There  was  also,  of  course, 
a  big  issue  of  stock,  preferred  and  common,  which,  by  a 
mutual  agreement,  was  not  to  be  marketed  for  three 
years.  We  had  not  yet  come  in  sight  of  a  dividend  on 
this  stock ;  hence  there  were  signs  of  dissatisfaction 
among  the  little  fellows,  who  had  expected  wonders  of 
the  company.  And  the  time  was  fast  approaching  \\lini 

230 


A    SQUEEZE  231 

they  would  be  at  liberty  to  dump  their  stock  on  the 
market  for  what  they  could  get  for  it. 

The  Strauss  crowd,  since  their  secret  attempt  through 
the  tool  Frost  and  his  "  syndicate  "  to  thwart  our  plans, 
had  kept  their  hands  off  us.  They  knew  well  enough 
what  was  our  financial  condition,  and  were  biding  their 
time  to  strike.  But  so  far,  clear  down  to  the  winter  of 
'96,  we  had  been  able  to  meet  all  interest  charges 
promptly,  and  had  thus  kept  the  corporation  from  fore 
closure.  That  year  as  the  time  approached  for  the  March 
payment  of  interest  on  the  bonds  and  sinking-fund  re 
quirement,  it  became  evident  that  our  treasury  would  not 
be  able  to  meet  the  sum  required,  and  that  it  would  be 
necessary  for  us  to  borrow  for  the  immediate  emergency. 
We  already  had  a  good  deal  of  our  paper  out  in  Chicago, 
and  so  Slocum  and  I  went  East  to  raise  what  we  needed. 
That  was  not  so  easy  as  it  would  have  been  in  the  days 
when  we  could  rely  on  Farson's  aid.  But  after  consider 
able  efforts  we  got  together  in  New  York  what  was  needed 
for  the  emergency,  and  I  left  for  home.  That  was  the 
fourteenth  of  February.  I  congratulated  myself  that  the 
danger  was  past,  for  I  was  sure  that,  with  the  opening  of/ 
our  new  plant  in  Kansas  City,  and  the  constant  improve 
ment  in  our  business,  we  ought  to  be  beyond  attack  when) 
the  next  payment  was  due  in  the  fall.  After  that  period"; 
we  should  be  on  the  road  to  dividends. 

I  had  been  at  home  a  couple  of  days,  my  attention  given 
to  other  matters  of  importance,  when  one  morning  notice 
came  from  the  Mercantile  National  Bank,  where  we  did 
most  of  our  business,  that  some  large  notes  were  called, 


232    THE  MEMOIRS   OF   AN   AMERICAN   CITIZEN 

We  had  over  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars  in 
"call"  loans  due  that  bank,  and  though,  during  these 
uncertain  times,  we  could  not  get  any  long  paper,  the 
management  of  the  Mercantile  had  been  friendly  to  us 
from  the  start,  and  I  had  no  reason  to  anticipate  trouble 
in  that  quarter.  But  when  I  went  over  to  see  the  Mer 
cantile  people  I  met  with  only  a  polite  and  cool  recep 
tion.  The  loans  were  called;  they  must  be  paid;  money 
was  hardening,  and  so  on.  It  was  a  granite  wall,  with 
just  as  much  human  consideration  in  it  as  stone  and  steel 
—  and  back  I  went  to  my  office  to  think. 

There  was  more  than  the  ordinary  bankers'  caution  in 
this  sudden  financial  frost ;  and,  whatever  was  the  power 
working  against  us,  it  was  strong  enough  to  close  the 
doors  of  credit  throughout  the  city.  Wherever  I  went 
those  dreary  two  days,  from  bank  to  bank,  I  was  met 
with  the  same  refusal :  money  was  not  to  be  had  on  any 
terms.  The  word  had  gone  out  that  we  were  a  doomed 
ship,  and  not  a  bank  would  touch  our  paper.  After 
a  second  sleepless  night  I  made  up  my  mind  to  a  des 
perate  step,  with  the  feeling  that  if  it  failed  the  game 
was  up. 

As  soon  as  I  reached  my  office  on  the  last  day  of  grace 
I  got  old  Strauss  himself  on  the  telephone  and  asked 
for  an  appointment.  He  was  gracious  enough  when  I 
reached  his  office  ;  it  was  the  cordiality  of  a  hungry  eater 
before  a  good  meal. 

"  What  can  I  do  for  you,  Mr.  Harrington  ?  "  he  purred. 

I  cut  into  the  meat  of  the  matter  at  once. 

"  What  are  your  terms  ?  " 


A   SQUEEZE  233 

"  Do  you  mean  that  you  wish  to  sell  your  property?  " 
he  asked  indifferently. 

"  Not  a  bit  of  it." 

"Then  how  can  I  help  you,  Mr.  Harrington?"  he  in 
quired  blandly. 

"You  can  take  your  hand  off  the  banks,  and  let  us  get 
a  living." 

He  shrugged  his  shoulders  deprecatingly,  as  if  I  gave 
him  credit  for  too  much  power,  and  we  had  it  out  at  some 
length.  He  had  no  interest  in  the  Meat  Products  Com 
pany.  If  the  corporation  went  into  the  hands  of  a  re 
ceiver,  he  and  his  friends  might  consider  buying  it  up, 
and  he  was  willing  to  discuss  terms  if  we  wished  to  deal 
in  a  friendly  manner  before  it  reached  the  courts.  I  rose 
from  my  chair  as  if  to  go. 

"Very  well,  Mr.  Strauss,"  I  said  dryly.  "You  have 
made  it  impossible  for  us  to  get  any  money  in  Chicago, 
but  you  don't  own  the  earth.  There  is  money  in  New 
York  —  about  four  hundred  thousand  dollars  lying  there 
for  me  at  this  moment." 

"  To  pay  the  interest  on  your  bonds  ! "  he  shot  back, 
showing  how  closely  he  had  followed  us. 

"  Yes,"  I  admitted,  « to  meet  our  March  interest  and 
sinking  fund.  But  I  am  going  across  the  street  to  the 
telegraph  office  to  wire  it  out  here  and  take  up  our  paper." 

He  looked  at  me  inquiringly,  waiting  for  the  next  move. 

"  And  the  March  interest  ?  "  he  suggested. 

"  We  shall  default." 

The  old  dog  raised  his  eyebrows,  as  if  to  say  that  was 
what  he  had  been  waiting  for  all  along. 


234     THE  MEMOIRS   OF   AN   AMERICAN   CITIZEN 

"  Of  course,"  I  went  on,  "  that  is  what  you  have  been 
working  for,  and  that  is  why  the  Mercantile  people  come 
down  on  us  at  this  moment.  You  think  you  have  got  us 
where  you  can  squeeze  the  life  out  of  us.  Well,  you  have." 

"  You  are  a  smart  young  man,  Harrington,"  the  great 
packer  replied  genially.  "  But  you  have  got  into  a  big 
game.  You'd  much  better  have  listened  to  Carmichael 
when  he  offered  you  a  chance  with  us." 


"  Only  this,"  I  said  slowly,  "  I  don't  sell  out  to  you." 

"  Thanks  !  "  I  said  glumly. 

"  Now,  why  can't  we  avoid  a  fight  and  settle  this  mat 
ter  between  ourselves  ?  There  might  be  something  good 
in  it  for  you." 

"  I  know  the  way  you  settle  such  matters." 

"  According  to  your  own  talk,  there  isn't  much  left  for 
you  folks." 


A    SQUEEZE  235 

"  Only  this,"  I  said  slowly,  and  I  walked  back  to  his 
desk  and  leaned  over  it :  "I  don't  sell  out  to  you.  We 
default.  The  bonds  will  be  foreclosed,  and  maybe  your 
crowd  will  hold  the  majority  of  'em.  But  when  we  get 
into  the  courts,  Mr.  Strauss,  on  a  receivership,  I  go 
before  the  judge  and  tell  the  story.  I  have  the  papers, 
too.  And  part  of  that  story  will  have  to  do  with  certain 
agreements  which  our  company  has  made  with  you  and 
the  other  packers.  And  more  than  that,  behind  these 
arrangements  there  are  a  lot  more  of  the  same  kind  in 
our  safe  that  we  got  from  Dround  and  others.  Now,  if 
you  want  the  whole  story  of  the  packing  business  aired 
in  court  andtin  the  papers  throughout  the  country,  you'll 
have  your  wish." 

"  Pshaw ! "  he  said  coolly,  "  you  don't  suppose  that 
bluff  counts !  They  can't  do  a  thing  to  us." 

"  Maybe  not,"  I  replied.  "  Nothing  more  than  a  con 
gressional  investigation,  perhaps.  And  that  might  block 
yonr  little  game." 

"  Go  on,  young  feller !  "  he  exclaimed  contemptuously. 

"  That's  all.     I  want  you  to  know  that  I  am  in  this 

fight  to  the  end,  and  if  it  ruins  me  and  my  friends,  I  will 

see  that  it  hurts  you.     Now,  if  you  want  to  fight,  let  the 

bank  call  this  money." 

We  had  some  more  talk  on  the  same  subject,  and, 
though  the  great  packer  maintained  an  air  of  indif 
ference,  I  thought  I  had  made  some  impression  on  him. 
Then  we  parted,  and  the  old  fellow  paid  me  the  compli 
ment  of  seeing  me  as  far  as  the  door  of  his  office. 

From  Strauss  Js  place  I  went  to  the  telegraph  office, 


236     THE    MEMOIRS    OF    AX    A.MEKK'AN    CITIZEN 

wired  for  the  money  in  Ne\v  York,  and  in  due  time  pre 
sented  myself  at  the  Mercantile  Bank  ready  to  take  up 
the  notes,  as  I  had  told  Strauss.  The  president  of  the 
hank  was  waiting  for  me  with  a  flurried  look  on  his  face. 

"  You  have  come  in  to  renew  your  paper,  Mr.  Harring 
ton  ?  "  he  remarked,  as  if  there  had  been  no  trouble 
between  us. 

"No,"  I  said;  "I  have  come  to  pay  what  we  owe.  I 
don't  do  any  more  business  with  you." 

"We  have  reconsidered  the  matter,  and  we  shall  be 
very  glad  to  renew  your  paper.'1 

Strauss  had  seen  the  point  to  my  remarks,  and  con 
cluded  to  retreat! 

"Thank  you,  I  don't  care  to  get  any  more  call  money 
from  you  fellows,"  I  said  placidly.  "  You  make  too  much 
trouble." 

Well,  when  I  left  the  president's  room  I  had  arranged 
for  a  loan  of  four  hundred  thousand  dollars  for  six 
months.  I  had  measured  myself  against  the  great 
Strauss,  and  never  again  would  the  big  fellow  seem  to 
me  so  terrible.  I  judged  that,  for  a  time,  the  American 
Meat  Products  Company  would  be  left  to  do  business 
undisturbed.  .  .  . 

On  my  desk,  when  I  returned  from  the  bank  that 
afternoon,  was  a  telegram  from  Mr.  Dround  from  New 
York :  "  We  arrived  to-day  —  leaving  for  Chicago." 

For  once,  Mr.  Dround  had  made  up  his  mind  in  a 
hurry. 


CHAPTER   XXII 

JUDGMENTS 

Mrs.  Dround  once  more—  The  point  of  view—  Reflections  —  A 
family  discussion  —  May  delivers  her  ultimatum  —  We  part  - 
The  middle  age  of  life 

«  IN  Eome  you  must  do,  as  the  Romans,  or  be  done ! "  I 
quoted  jocularly. 

Mrs.  Dround  smiled  appreciatively. 

"From  all  accounts  you  have  been  a  tremendous 
Roman ! " 

"  Well,  at  least  I  haven't  been  done  — not  yet." 

Jane  Dround  smiled  again  and  turned  her  face  from  the 
window  of  the  library,  through  which  could  be  seen  dots 
of  ice  and  snow  sailing  out  on  the  blue  lake.  The  years 
she  had  been  gone  in  Europe  had  dealt  lightly  with  her. 
She  had  grown  a  trifle  stouter,  and  looked  splendidly 
well  —  dark,  and  strong,  and  full  of  life. 

"  I  did  my  best,"  she  continued  half  humorously.  "  I 
tried  to  get  lost  in  darkest  Africa  beyond  the  reach 
of  telegrams  and  newspapers.  But  a  party  of  Chicago 
people  coming  up  the  Nile  crossed  the  path  of  our  daha- 
biyeh,  recognized  us,  came  abroad  —  and  brought  the 
story.  Cables  wouldn't  hold  him  then!  We  came  as 
the  crow  flies ;  it  was  no  use  to  plead  sickness  —  he  was 
ready  to  leave  me  behind  in  Paris ! " 

237 


238     THE   MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN   CITIZEN 

She  laughed  again  genially. 

"  It  was  nothing  much  to  get  excited  about,"  I  replied 
a  little  impatiently ;  "  and  it  has  passed  now,  anyway, 
like  a  winter  snow  in  the  city  —  slush,  water,  nothing ! ' 

"  But  the  principle  !  You  forget  the  principle !  "  she 
remonstrated  dryly. 

"  I  know  —  and  he's  going  to  resign  from  the  presidency 
-  that  ought  to  satisfy  his  principle  —  but  we  must  keep 
him  on  the  board." 

"  It  was  a  judge,  too !  A  sworn  officer  of  the  law  !  " 
Mrs.  Droimd  interrupted,  quoting  demurely  from  Henry 
I's  remarks  about  the  injunction  scandal. 

"  Very  well,  he  can  make  over  his  stock  to  you,  then ! 
It  won't  trouble  you,  and  you  can  draw  the  big  dividends 
we  are  going  to  pay  soon.  I  don't  want  him  to  get  out 
now,  when  the  fruit  is  almost  ripe  to  shake." 

"  Is  that  the  only  reason  ?  "  Mrs.  Dround  asked  quickly. 

"Of  course,  we  don't  want  his  stock  coming  on  the 
market  in  a  big  block.  It  would  break  us  all  up.  And 
it  might  easily  get  into  the  wrong  hands." 

For  Mr.  Dround,  in  the  brief  interview  that  we  had 
had  on  his  return,  had  intimated  his  desire  not  only  to 
withdraw  from  the  presidency  of  the  corporation,  which 
had  been  merely  a  nominal  office,  but  to  dispose  of  his 
stock  as  soon  as  the  agreement  expired  in  the  fall,  sug 
gesting  that  I  had  best  find  some  friendly  hands  to  take 
his  big  holding.  In  his  gentlemanly  way  he  had  told 
me  that  he  had  had  enough  of  me  and  was  quite  ready 
to  snow  me  under,  if  it  could  be  done  in  a  polite,  and 
friendly  fashion. 


JUDGMENTS  239 

«  So  you  want  him  to  wait  ?  "  Mrs.  Dround  suggested 
indifferently. 

"  Yes,  until  I  am  ready  ! " 

She  made  no  reply  to  this  remark,  and  after  a  moment 
I  said  more  lightly :  - 

"  But  I  came  to  welcome  you  home,  —  I  want  you  still 
to  be  my  friend,  my  partner  !  " 

"  They  say  you  are  a  dangerous  partner,"  she  retorted. 
looking  closely  at  me,  —  "  deep  in  all  sorts  of  specula 
tive  schemes,  and  likely  to  slip.  They  say  you  are 
un  —  scrupulous  "  —  she  drawled  the  word  mockingly  - 
"  and  a  lot  more  bad  things.  Do  you  think  that  is  the 
right  kind  of  partner  for  a  simple  woman  ?  " 

"  If  you've  got  the  nerve  !  " 

"  Well,  let  me  show  you  some  of  the  new  pictures 
we  have  bought."  And  she  turned  me  off  with  a  lot  of 
.talk  about  pictures  and  stuffs  and  stones,  until  I  arose 
to  leave. 

Shortly  afterwards  my  carriage  took  me  back  to  the 
city,  where  I  had  to  meet  some  gentlemen  who  were 
interested  in  my  schemes  for  the  development  of  the  new 
Southwest.  As  I  rode  through  the  windy,  dusty  streets, 
my  thoughts  went  back  over  the  years  since  that  time 
when  at  the  suggestion  of  this  woman  I  had  just  left,  I 
had  put  my_hand  to  building  something  large  out  of 
Henry  I.  Dround's  tottering  estate. 

In  a  busy  life  like  mine,  one  event  shades  into  another. 
Each  path  to  which  a  man  sets  his  feet  leads  to  some 
cross-roads,  and  from  there  any  one  of  the  branches  will 


240     THE   MEMOIRS   OF    AN    AMERICAN   CITIZEN 

lead  on  to  its  own  cross-roads.  While  the  adventurer  is 
on  his  way  it  is  hard  to  tell  why  he  takes  one  turning 
and  not  another,  why  lie  lays  his  course  here  and  not 
there.  Years  later  he  may  see  it  plotted  plain,  as  I  do 
to-day  —  plotted  as  on  a  map.  Then  the  wanderer  may 
try  to  explain  what  made  him  move  this  way  or  that. 
Yet  the  little  determining  causes  that  turned  his  mind 
at  the  moment  of  choice  are  forever  forgotten.  The  big, 
permanent  motive  remains  :  there  is  the  broad  highroad 

but  why  was  it  left,  why  this  turn  and  double  across 

the  main  track  ? 

So  it  was  with  me.  The  main  highroad  of  my  ambi 
tion  was  almost  lost  in  the  thickets  in  which  I  found 
myself.  Struggling  day  by  day  against  the  forces  that 
opposed  me,  I  had  lost  sight  of  direction.  The  words 
with  Jane  Dround,  the  flash  of  her  dark  eyes,  pierced 
my  obscurity,  gave  me  again  a  view  of  the  destiny  to 
which  I  had  set  myself.  Some  fire  in  her  fed  me  with 
courage,  and  made  my  spirit  lighter  than  it  had  been 
for  months.  .  .  . 

When  I  reached  home  in  the  evening,  I  found  Sarah 
ill  with  a  nervous  headache. 

"  Will  is  back !  "  she  exclaimed  on  seeing  me,  and  her 
tone  scarcely  concealed  a  meaning  beyond  her  words. 

"What's  that?  He  didn't  send  me  word  that  he  was 
coming." 

"May  telephoned  —  he's  just  got  in." 

Something  unexpected  must  have  brought  him  sud 
denly  all  the  way  from  Texas,  where  he  was  looking 
after  our  interests.  The  news  was  disturbing. 


JUDGMENTS 


241 


"  I  saw  Jane  Dround  this  afternoon,"  I  remarked  idly. 
"  She's  looking  fine  —  never  saw  her  better." 

"  Jane  !  "  my  wife  said  slowly.  "  So  she's  back  once 
more."  Then  after  a  pause  she  exclaimed  :  - 

"  I  don't  like  her  !  " 

Sarah,  who  rarely  said  a  bitter  word  about  any  one, 
spoke  this  harshly,  and  I  looked  at  her  in  surprise. 

"  I  don't  trust  that  woman,  Van  !  She  is  secret.  And 
I  believe  she  influenced  you  —  that  time  about  the 
judge." 

It  was  the  first  time  for  months  that  Sarah  had  re 
ferred  to  this  matter. 

"I'll  go  and  ring  up  May,"  I  said,  not  caring  to  refute 
this  wild  accusation,  "and  ask  them  to  come  over  to 
night." 

"  I  asked  them  for  dinner,  but  she  wouldn't  come," 
Sarah  remarked  gloomily.  "  No  one  wants  to  come  here 
but  people  like  the  Webbs  and  Coopers —  people  who 
think  they  can  make  something  out  of  your  schemes." 

"  Oh,  I  guess  they  aren't  the  only  ones  who  are  willing 
to  come.  And  what's  the  matter  with  the  Webbs  and 
the  Coopers  ?  If  the  rest  of  your  friends  don't  like  us, 
we  can  get  along  without  their  society.  I  guess  New 
York  will  stand  us,  and  that's  where  we  shall  be  before 
many  years,  if  all  goes  well.  This  place  is  only  a  gossipy 
old  village." 

"  I  don't  want  to  go  to  New  York  !  "  Sarah  wailed. 

When  I  had  May  at  the  telephone,  she  answered  my 
invitation  in  a  dry  little  voice  :  — 

R 


242     THE    MEMOIRS   OF   AN   AMERICAN   CITIZEN 

"Yes,  we  are  coining  over  to  see  you  about  a  matter. 
Will  has  something  important  to  say  to  you.'7 

By  the  tone  of  May's  voice  I  judged  that  we  should 
have  a  rather  lively  family  party,  and  I  was  not  mis 
taken.  Sarah  was  still  lying  on  the  lounge  in  my  study 
when  Will  and  May  came  in  after  dinner.  There  was 
battle  in  May's  eyes  and  in  her  tight-shut  lips.  It  had 


"  Couldn't  you  find  any  one  else  to  do  your  dirty  work  lut  your 
own  brother?" 

been  a  long  time  since  she  had  come  to  the  house  when  I 
was  at  home.  And  to-night  Will,  too,  was  looking  very 
pale  and  troubled. 

"  May,"  I  said,  "you  look  as  if  you  had  a  gun  trained 
on  me.     Fire  away,  only  make  it  something  new.     I  am 


JUDGMENT'S  248 

tired  of  that  oM  matter  about  the  judge.  'Most  every 
body  has  forgotten  all  about  that  except  you  and  Sarah." 

"  It's  something  new,  fast  enough,  Van ;  but  it  isn't 
any  better,"  she  retorted.  "  Couldn't  you  find  any  one 
else  to  do  your  dirty  work  but  your  own  brother  ?  " 

"  What's  the  matter  now  ?  " 

"  Show  him  the  article,  Will." 

Will  unbuttoned  his  coat  and  reached  for  his  inner 
pocket.  From  it  he  hauled  out  a  bulky  newspaper, 
which  he  handed  me.  It  was  a  copy  of  the  Sunday 
Texas  World,  and  a  front  page  article  was  heavily  pen 
cilled. 

"  That's  too  much,  Van,"  he  protested  solemnly,  hand 
ing  me  the  paper.  "Read  it." 

"  Yes,  read  it  all !  "  May  added.  The  three  were  silent 
while  I  ran  through  the  article.  It  was  the  usual  ex 
aggerated  sort  of  newspaper  stuff  purporting  to  describe 
the  means  used  to  secure  a  piece  of  railroad  legislation, 
in  which  I  and  some  New  York  men  were  interested. 
The  sting  lay  in  the  last  paragraph  :  — 

"  It  is  commonly  understood  that  the  lobby  which  has 
been  working  for  the  past  winter  in  the  interest  of  this 
rotten  bill  is  maintained  by  a  group  of  powerful  capital 
ists,  dominated  by  the  head  of  a  large  Chicago  packing 
company.  This  gentleman,  who  suddenly  shot  into  pub 
licity  the  past  winter  as  the  result  of  an  unusually  brazen 
attempt  to  corrupt  a  Chicago  judge,  has  opened  his  office 
not  three  blocks  from  the  state  Capitol,  and  has  put  his 
brother  in  charge  of  the  corruptionist  forces.  .  .  .  The 


244     THE   MEMOIRS    O*    AN   AMERICAN   CITIZEN 

deserving  legislators  of  our  state  may  soon  expect  to  reap 
a  rich  harvest ! " 

A  few  more  generalities  wound  up  the  article.  I  folded 
the  paper  and  handed  it  back  to  Will.  No  one  said  a 
word  for  a  few  moments,  and  then  Will  observed :  — 

"  That  isn't  pleasant  reading  for  an  honorable  man  ! " 

"  I  don't  see  how  it  should  trouble  you,  Will.  You 
are  down  there  to  look  after  our  interests  in  a  legitimate 
way  enough.  If  you  don't  like  the  job,  though,  I  can 
get  another  man  to  take  your  place." 

"  Van,"  May  interrupted,  "  don't  try  to  squirm  !  You 
know  that's  true  —  what's  written  there  !  You  didn't 
ask  Will  to  use  the  bribe  money,  because  you  knew  he 
wouldn't  do  anything  dishonorable.  But  you  let  him 
take  the  blame,  and  sent  some  one  else  with  the  money, 
no  doubt.  What  was  that  partner  of  Mr.  Slocum's  sent 
down  there  for  ?  " 

"  Will,"  -  - 1  turned  to  my  brother,  —  "  let  us  settle 
this  by  ourselves.  It's  a  man's  business,  and  the  women 
won't  help  us." 

"  No,  Van,"  May  replied.  "  I  guess  we  women  are  as 
much  concerned  as  anybody.  Where  there's  a  question 
of  my  husband's  honor,  it's  my  business,  too.  I  stay." 

"  Well,  then,  stay  !  And  try  to  understand.  This_bill 
papeiixips  up  is  all  right.  We  must  have  it  to  put 
our  road  through  to  the  Gulf,  and  if  it  were  not  for  the 
money  the  Pacific  Western  road,  which  owns  the  state, 
is  putting  up  against  us  we  shouldn't,  have  any  trouble.^/ 
They  want  to  keep  us  out,  and  Strauss  and  his  crowd 


JUDGMENTS  245 

want  to  keep  us  out,  too,  so  that  they  can  have  all  the  pie 
to  themselves.  I  have  been  working  at  this  thing  for 
years  in  order  that  we  can  get  an  outlet  to  the  seaboard, 
untouched  by  our  rivals.  They  think  to  block  us  just  at 
the  end,  but  I  guess  they  will  find  out  they  are  mistaken 
when  the  line-up  comes  next  month.  That's  all ! : 

"  Do  you  think  that  explanation  is  satisfactory  ?  Of 
course,  Van,  you  want  the  bill  passed ! "  May  said 
ironically. 

"What  does  it  mean  — what  has  Van  been  doing?" 
Sarah  asked  for  the  first  time,  sitting  up  and  looking 
from  one  to  another  in  a  puzzled  way. 

None  of  us  answered,  and  finally  Will  said  :  - 
"  I  guess,  Van,  you  and  I  don't  see  things  quite  the 
same  way.  I  know  you  wouldn't  ask  me  to  do  what  you 
thought  was  bad,  but  all  the  same  there's  too  much  that's 
true  in  that  piece  in  the  paper,  and  I  don't  want  to  have 
it  said  —  there's  things  going  on  down  there  that  aren't 
right  — and  May  feels  —  I  feel  myself,  that  it  ain't  right. 
We  don't  think  the  same  way,  you  and  I.  So  we  had 
better  part  now,  before  we  have  any  bad  feeling." 

"  All  right !  Did  you  come  over  here  to-night  to  tell 
me  that?" 

"  No,  Van,"  May  put  in  hastily,  her  voice  trembling 
with  feeling.  "  That  wasn't  all.  Will  and  I  came  to  ask 
you  to  give  up  the  sort  of  business  you  are  doing  down 
there.  We  want  you  to  turn  back  into  the  right  road 
before  it  is  too  late.  If  you  don't  land  in  the  peniten 
tiary,  Van  Harrington,  your  money  will  do  you  no  good. 
It  will  taste  bad  all  your  life  !  " 


240     THE    MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

We  were  all  pretty  well  stirred  up  by  this  time.  I 
was  weary  of  meeting  these  charges  of  dishonesty  on  all 
sides.  This  last  was  too  much  —  to  have  my  family 
accuse  me  of  a  crime,  when  I  did  not  feel  guilty,  not  for 
a  minute ! 

"  I  don't  see  why  you  should  say  that,  May  !  "  Sarah 
suddenly  bridled.  "After  all,  it's  only  the  newspapers, 
and  no  one  believes  them  to-day." 

This  unexpected  defence  from  Sarah  aroused  May 
afresh. 

"  Oh,  he  donrt  deny  it !  He  can't.  First  it  was  a 
judge  —  he  bought  a  judge  and  paid  for  him,  and  he 
never  came  out  and  denied  it !  Now  it's  worse  even  than 
that.  It's  the  people  of  a  whole  state  he's  trying  to  buy 
through  their  representatives." 

"  Who  are  there  for  sale,"  I  laughed. 

"  Does  that  make  it  any  better  ?  "  she  turned  on  me. 
"  Seems  to  nie,  Van,  you  don't  know  any  longer  the  dif 
ference  between  black  and  white  !  " 

"  We've  got  a  perfect  right  to  build  that  road,  and  build 
it  we  will  — that's  all  there  is  to  that  matter !  " 

And  so  we  argued  for  hours,  May  and  I  doing  most  of 
the  talking.  For  I  wanted  her  to  understand  just  how 
the  matter  lay.  No  business  in  this  large,  modern  world 
could  be  done  on  her  plan  of  life.  That  beautiful  scheme 
of  things  which  the  fathers  of  our  country  drew  up  in  the 
stage-coach  days  had  proved  itself  inadequate  in  a  short 
century.  We  had  to  get  along  with  it  the  best  we  could. 
Hut  we  men  who  did  the  work  of  the  world,  who  devel 
oped  the  country,  who  were  the  life  and  force  of  the  times, 


JUDGMENTS  247 

could  not  be  held  back  by  the  swaddling-clothes  of  any 
political  or  moral  theory.  Kesults  we  must  have :  good 
results  ;  and  we  worked  with  the  tools  we  found  at  hand. 

"  It's  no  use  your  saying  any  more  !  "  May  exclaimed 
at  last.  "I  understand  just  what  you  mean,  Van  Har 
rington.  It's  the  same  way  it  was  with  the  judge's 
peaches.  You  wanted  'em,  and  you  took  'em  !  What 
you  want  you  think  is  good  for  every  one,  especially  for 
Van  Harrington.  And  you  are  so  wise  and  strong  you 
think  you  can  break  through  all  laws  because  laws  are  made 
for  small  people,  like  Will  and  me,  and  you  and  your 
kind  are  Napoleons.  You  talk  as  if  you  were  a  part  of 
God's  destiny.  And  I  say"  —here  her  voice  broke  for 
a  moment —  "  I  say,  Van,  you  are  the  devil's  instrument ! 
You  and  those  like  you  — andjjiere  are  a  good  many  of 
them  —  are  just  plain  big;  rascal^,  only  the  laws  can't 
get  hold  of  you." 

Her  lips  trembled  and  at  the  end  broke  into  that 
little  ironical  smile  which  I  knew  so  well,  the  smile  she 
had  when  I  used  to  get  into  some  boyish  scrape,  and  she 
was  looking  through  me  for  the  truth.  But  for  all  her 
hot  words,  I  knew  she  had  kindly  feeling  for  me  some 
where  in  her  heart.  Nevertheless,  Sarah,  who  had  been 
following  our  talk  as  well  as  she  could,  fired  up  at  her 
accusations. 

"  I  think,  May,"  she  remonstrated  with  all  her  dignity, 
"that  you  cannot  say  any  more  such  things  in  my 
husband's  house." 

"  Yes,"  I  added,  "  we  have  had  too  much  talk  all  around. 
You  can't  change  my  character  any  more  than  you  can 


248     THE    MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

make  wheat  grow  in  Arizona  or  sugar-cane  in  Dakota. 
And  I  don't  want  to  change  your  views,  either,  May." 

For  though  she  made  me  pretty  angry,  I  admired  the 
way  she  stood  to  her  guns.  She  was  a  fighter!  And 
Will  must  act  as  she  decided.  Whoever  travelled  with 
her  would  have  to  travel  by  her  star. 

"  Yes,"  my  brother  replied,  "  it's  gone  too  far  now  to 
change.  Words  don't  do  any  good.  Come,  wife,  let 
us  go." 

"  I  am  sorry  for  Sarah  !  "  May  said,  taking  Sarah's 
hands  in  hers.  "  She  suffers  for  you,  Van,  and  she  will 
suffer  for  this  all  her  life.  But  I  am  sorrier  for  you, 
Van,  for  you  have  gone  too  far  to  suffer  ! ' 

Thereupon  she  swept  out  of  the  room,  her  little  figure 
swelling  with  dignity;  and  Will  followed  her,  "aTthe 
needle  swings  to  its  magnet,  pausing  only  long  enough 
to  reach  for  my  hand  and  press  it.  When  the  front  door 
shut  upon  them  the  house  seemed  suddenly  cold  and 
empty.  Sarah  had  slipped  back  to  the  lounge,  and  was 
staring  up  at  the  ceiling,  a  tear  trickling  across  her  face. 

"  I  suppose  May  won't  ever  come  back  again.  And  we 
were  planning  to  take  that  cottage  this  summer  so  that 
the  children  could  be  together." 

That  detail  didn't  seem  to  me  very  important,  but  it 
was  the  one  that  showed  to  Sarah  the  gulf  which  had 
opened  between  us.  Sarah's  little  world,  by  that  token, 
had  suffered  an  earthquake. 

"Oh,"  I  said,  trying  to  comfort  her,  "like  as  not  this 
will  blow  over!  May  has  disapproved  of  me  before 
this." 


JUDGMENTS 


249 


TV 


But  in  my  heart  I  felt  there  wasn't  much  likelihood 
that  this  breach  would  be  healed.  Knowing  May  as  I 
did,  I  had  no  idea  that  she  would  let  Will  continue  with 
me,  even  in  another  position.  No  compromise  for  her ! 
To-morrow  or  next  day  Will  would  come  into  the  office 
to  take  his  leave.  .  .  . 

"  I  guess,  Van,  I'll  go  to 
bed." 

It  was  the  first  word 
Sarah  had  spoken  for  half 
an  hour.  The  tears  had 
dried  on  her  face.  She 
gave  me  a  light  kiss,  and 
left  me.  ... 

The  house  seemed  cold 
and  desolate,  as  if  the 
pleasant  kindliness  of  life 
had  gone  out  of  it  when 
my  brother  and  his  wife 
had  left.  \  I  made  up  the 
fire,  lighted  a  fresh  cigar, 
and  sat  down  to  think. 
Somehow  years  had  gone 
by  in  that  evening  ;  I  was  Somehow  years  had  gone  by  in 
heavy  with  the  heaviness  that  evening. 

of  middle  life. 

To  take  the  other  road,  her  road  —  that  was  what 
May  demanded  of  me.  How  little  she  knew  the  situa 
tion!  That  would  mean  immediate  ruin  for  me  and 
mine,  and  for  those  men  who  had  trusted  me  with  their 


250     THE    MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN   CITIZEN 

money.  The  world  that  I  had  been  building  all  these 
years  would  crumble  and  vanish  like  smoke  into  the  void 
out  of  which  I  had  made  it !  ^/frot  that  May's  talk  had 
meaning  or  sense  to  it,  either.  Nor  do  men  made  as  I 
am  alter  at  the  sound  of  words.  We  are  as  we  are,  and 
we  grow  with  the  power  to  do  that  which  we  must  do. 
May  was  merely  an  unreasonable  and  narrow  woman, 
>  who  saw  but  one  kind  of  good. 

In  all  the  forty  years  of  my  life  there  had  been  no 
evil  as  I  know  evil.  No  man  could  say  that  he  had 
harm  from  me  — unless  it  might  be  poor  Ed  Hostetter  — 
and  for  thousands  of  such  workers  as  live  from  day 
to  day,  depending  on  men  like  me  to  give  them  their 
chance  to  earn  bread  for  their  wives  and  children,  I  had 
made  the  world  better  rather  than  worse.  Unthinking 
,  thousands  lived  and  had  children  and  got  what  good 
there  was  in  life  because  of  me  and  my  will. 

But  to  the  others,  the  good  ones,  to  Farson  and  Dronnd 
and  May,  I  was  but  a  common  thief,  a  criminal,  who 
fattened  on  the  evil  of  the  world.  Whatjiad  they  done 
jo  make  life  ?  What  was  their  virtue  good  for  ?  They 
took  the  dainty  paths  and  kept  their  clothes  from  the 
soil  of  the  road.  Yes,  and  what  then  ?  *  A  renewed 
sense  of  irritation  rose  within  me.  Why  should  I  be 
pestered  like  this,  why  should  I  lose  my  brother  and 
May,  why  should  Sarah  be  hurt,  because  they  were  too 
good  to  do  as  I  had  done? 

So  my  brother  and  May  went  their  way.      They  left 
me   lonely.      For   the   first   time   since   the   day,  many 
years  before,  when  I  walked  out  of  the  police  station 
t 


JUDGMENTS  251 

alone  into  the  city,  the  loneliness  of  life  came  over  me. 
To-morrow,  in  the  daylight,  in  the  fierce  fight  of  the  day, 
that  weakness  would  go ;  but  to-night  there  was  no  hand 
to  reach,  no  voice  to  speak,  from  the  multitude  of  the 
world.     One  person  only  of  all  would  know,  would  place 
big  and  little  side  by  side  and  reckon  them  rightly  - 
would  understand  the  ways  I  had  followed  to  get  my 
ends.     Jane  Dround  would  throw  them  all  a  smile  of 
contempt,  the  little  ones  who  weigh  and  hesitate  ! 
There  was  the  soul  of  the  fighter. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

HAPPINESS 

/  learn  of  Mr.  Dround^s  intentions  —  A  plea  for  myself — Despots 

—  A  woman's  heart  —  The  two  in  the  world  that  are  most  near 

—  Sarah's  cry  —  Jane  defends  herself —  To  go  away  forever  — 
Vows  renewed 

"  HENRY  is  simply  furious  —  thinks  his  name  has  been 
involved  —  and  he  means  to  sell  every  share  of  stock  he 
holds  as  soon  as  the  agreement  expires." 

"  I  knew  that  he  would  do  just  that ! " 

Mrs.  Dround  threw  back  her  coat  and  looked  up  with 
a  mischievous  smile  on  her  face.  She  was  a  very  hand 
some  woman  these  days,  not  a  month  older  than  when  I 
saw  her  first.  She  had  reached  that  point  where  Nature, 
having  done  her  best  for  a  woman,  pauses  before  begin 
ning  the  work  of  destruction. 

She  had  come  this  afternoon  to  call  on  Sarah,  and, 
having  failed  to  find  her  at  home,  was  writing  a  note  at 
her  desk,  when  I  came  in  from  the  day's  business,  a  little 
earlier  than  was  my  wont. 

"It  isn't  just  that  matter  of  the  injunction.  You 
know,  my  friend,  people  here  in  the  city  —  Henry's 
friends  —  say  that  you  are  engaged  in  dangerous  enter 
prises —  that  you  are  a  desperate  man  yourself!  Are 
you  ?  " 


HAPPINESS  253 

"  Yon  know  better  than  most ! "  I  answered  lightly. 
"  But  I  am  getting  tired  of  all  this  talk.  I  had  a  dose  of 
it  in  the  family  the  last  time." 

She  nodded  as  I  briefly  related  what  had  happened 
with  Will  and  May. 

"  And,  of  course,  Sarah  feels  pretty  badly,"  I  concluded. 

"  Poor  child !  "  she  murmured.  "  I  wondered  what 
was  the  matter  with  her  these  days.  She  will  feel  differ 
ently  later.  But  your  brother,  that  is  another  question." 

"He  and  his  wife  will  never  feel  differently.*' 

She  tossed  aside  the  pen  she  held  and  rose  to  her  feet. 

"  Never  mind !  I  know  you  don't  mind  really  —  only 
it  is  too  bad  to  have  this  annoyance  just  now,  when  you 
have  much  on  your  shoulders.  I  wish  I  could  do  some 
thing  !  A  woman's  hands  are  always  tied  !  " 

She  could  say  no  more,  and  we  sat  for  some  time 
without  further  talk.  I  was  thinking  what  would  hap 
pen  when  Mr.  Dround's  stock  was  dumped  on  the  mar 
ket,  to  be  snapped  up  by  my  enemies.  Our  company 
was  very  near  the  point  of  paying  dividends,  and  with 
a  friendly  line  of  railroad  giving  us  an  outlet  into  the 
Southwest,  the  struggling  venture  would  be  in  a  power 
ful  position. 

"  If  he  would  wait  but  six  months  more  !  "  I  broke  out 
at  last. 

She  shook  her  head. 

"  Where  a  question  of  principle  is  involved,  — 

Her  lips  curved  ironically. 

"  What  would  you  do,  tell  me,  if  a  parcel  of  scamps 
were  holding  you  up  for  the  benefit  of  your  enemies? 


254     THE    MEMOIRS    OP    AN   AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

Suppose  you  had  a  perfect  right  to  do  the  business  you  had 
in  hand.  Would  you  put.  tail  between  legs  and  get  out 
and  leave  your  bone  to  the  other  dog  ?  " 

"  If  I  wanted  to  starve,  yes  !     I  should  deserve  to." 

"  You  and  I  think_su-pprisingly  alike  very  often  !  " 

"I  always  liked  despots/5  she  replied.  "And,  as  a 
matter  of  fact,  despots  —  the  strong  ones  —  have  always 
really  done  things.  They  do  to-day  —  only  we  make  a 
fuss  about  it  and  get  preachy.  No,  my  friend,  don't  hesi 
tate  !  The  scrupulous  ones  will  bow  to  you  in  time." 

"  You  would  have  made  something  of  a  man  !  " 

She  bowed  her  head  mockingly. 

"  That  is  man's  best  compliment  to  poor,  weak  woman. 
Rut  I  am  content,  when  I  touch  the  driving  hand,  now 
and  then." 

After  a  time  she  added :  — 

"You  will  find  the  way.  It  is  not  the  last  ditch,  far 
from  it.  A  man  like  you  cannot  be  killed  with  one 
blow ! " 

She  had  given  the  warning,  done  what  she  could,  and 
now  she  trusted  me  to  do  the  rest.  Her  will,  her  sym 
pathy,  were  strong  behind  me.  So  when  this  moment 
was  over,  when  she  went  her  way  and  I  mine,  out  into 
the  world  of  cares  and  struggle,  I  might  carry  with  me 
this  bit  of  her  courage,  her  sureness.  I  felt  that,  and  I 
wanted  to  say  it  to  her,  to  let  her  see  that  it  was  more 
herself  than  her  good  will  or  her  help  that  I  valued. 
Hut  it  was  an  awkward  thing  to  say. 

Her  hands  lay  upon  the  desk  between  us.  They  were 
not  beautiful  hands,  merely  strong,  close-knit  —  hands  to 


HAPPINESS  255 

hold  with  a  grip  of  death.  I  looked  at  them,  thinking 
that  in  her  hands  was  the  sign  of  her  character.  She 
raised  her  eyes  and  gazed  at  me  steadily  for  several 
moments. 

"You  know  how  I  feel?" 

I  nodded. 

"You  don't  need  a  woman's  sympathy — but  I  want 
you  to  know  how  I  feel — for  my  own  sake." 

"Thank  you  for  it.  In  this  life  a  man  must  stand 
pretty  much  alone,  win  or  lose.  I  have  always  found  it  so 
—  except  when  you  and  I  have  talked  things  over.  That 
hasn't  been  often.  This  is  a  tight  place  I  find  myself  in 
now.  But  there  is  a  way  out,  or  if  there  isn't  —  well,  I 
have  played  the  game  better  than  most." 

"  Even  that  thought  doesn't  give  happiness,"  she  mused. 
"I  know,  because,  my  friend,  I,  too,  have  stood  alone  all 
my  life." 

She  gave  me  this  confidence  simply,  as  a  man  might. 

"  I  suppose  a  woman  counts  on  happiness,"  I  said  awk 
wardly  in  response.  "  But  I  have  never  counted  much 
on  that.  There  have  always  been  many  things  to  do, 
and  I  have  done  them,  well  or  ill  I  can't  say.  But  I  have 
done  them  somehow." 

It  was  a  clumsy  answer,  but  I  could  find  no  proper 
words  for  what  I  felt.  Such  things  are  not  to  be  said. 
There  followed  another  of  those  full  silences  which 
counted  with  this  woman  for  so  much  more  than  words. 
Again  it  was  she  who  broke  it :  — 

"  For  once,  only  once,  I  want  to  speak  out  plainly ! 
You  are  younger  than  I,  rny  friend,  —  not  so  much  in 


256     THE    MEMnlUS   OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

years  as  in  other  things.  Enough,  so  that  I  can  look  at 
you  as  —  a  friend.  You  understand  ?  " 

She  spoke  gently,  with  a  little  smile,  as  if,  after  all, 
all  this  must  be  taken  between  us  for  a  joke. 

"From  the  beginning,  when  you  and  Sarah  first  came 
into  our  lives,  I  saw  the  kind  of  man  you  were,  and  I 
admired  you.  I  wanted  to  help  you  —  yes,  to  help  you." 

"  And  that  you  did  !  " 

"  Not  really.  Perhaps  no  one  could  really  help  you. 
No  one  helps  or  hinders.  You  work  out  your  fate  from 
the  inside,  like  all  the  powerful  ones.  You  do  what  is  in 
you  to  do,  and  never  question.  But  I  longed  for  the 
woman's  satisfaction  of  being  something  to  you,  —  of 
holding  the  sponge,  as  the  boys  say.  But  a  mere  woman, 
poor,  weak  creature,  is  tied  with  a  short  rope  —  do  you 
know  what  that  means  ?  So  the  next  best  thing,  if  one 
can't  live  one's  self,  is  to  live  in  another  —  some  strong 
one.  When  you  are  a  woman  and  have  reached  my  age, 
you  know  that  you  can't  live  for  yourself.  That  chance 
has  gone." 

"  I  don't  believe  it,"  I  protested.  "  You  are  just  ready 
to  live." 

She  gave  me  a  smile  for  my  compliment,  and  shook 
her  head. 

"  No,  I  don't  deceive  myself.  Most  women  do.  I  know 
when  I  have  reached  the  end  of  my  chapter.  ...  So  I 
have  followed  you,  step  by  step  —  oh,  you  don't  know 
how  closely !  And  I  have  sucked  in  all  the  joy  of  your 
success,  of  your  power,  of  you  —  a  man  !  I  have  lived  a 
man's  life." 


HAPPINESS  257 

"  But  you  went  away  ?  "  I  said  accusingly. 

"  Yes,  I  went  away  —  because  that  would  help  !  It 
was  the  only  thing  I  could  do  — I  could  go  away." 

For  the  first  time  her  voice  shook  with  passion.  I  was 
answered. 

"  Now  I  have  come  back  to  find  that  my  hands  are 
tied  more  than  ever.  I  can  help  you  no  more.  Believe 
me,  that  is  the  hardest  thing  yet.  I  can  help  you  no 
more  !  My  husband  —you  understand  ?  No,  you  need 
not  understand.  A  woman  is  bound  back  and  across  by 
a  thousand  threads,  which  do  not  always  show  to  the 
eye.  .  I  may  yet  keep  my  husband  from  throwing 

you  over,  but  that  is  no  matter  —  the  truth  is  I  count  no 
longer  to  you.  If  the  world  had  been  other  than  it  is,  my 
friend,  I  should  have  been  by  your  side,  fighting  it  out 
daily  for  you,  with  you.  As  it  is  — 

She  threw  up  her  arms  in  a  gesture  of  disgust  and  re 
mained  silent,  brooding.  It  was  not  necessary  to  complete 
the  words.  Nor  could  I  speak.  Something  very  wonderful 
and  precious  was  passing  before  my  eyes  for  the  last  time, 
something  that  had  been  near  was  floating  off,  would 
never  come  back.  And  life  was  so  made  that  it  was  vain, 
useless,  to  try  to  hold  it,  to  cry  out,  to  do  anything  except 
to  be  still  and  feel  the  loss.  My  hands  fell  beside  hers 
upon  the  polished  surface  of  the  desk,  and  we  sat  looking 
into  one  another's  eyes,  without  fear.  She  was  feeling 
what  I  was  feeling,  but  she  was  looking  deeper  into  fate 
than  I  could  look.  For  she  was  wiser  as  a  woman  than 
I  was  as  a  man.  We  were  the  two  in  the  world  most 
near,  and  between  us  there  was  a  gulf  that  could  not  be 


258     THE   MEMOIRS    OF    AN   AMERICAN    CITIZKN 

crossed.     The  years  that  are  to  come,  my  heart  said  to 
me  then,  will  be  longer  than  those  that  have  passed. 

"  Listen,"  she  whispered,  as  though  she  were  reading 
my  thoughts.  "We  shall  never  need  more  than  this. 
Remember !  Nothing  more  than  this.  For  I  should  be  a 
hindrance,  then,  not  a  help.  And  that  would  be  the  end 
of  me,  indeed.  You  have  your  will  to  work,  which  is  more 
than  any  woman  could  give  you.  And  I  have  the  thought 
of  you.  Now  I  must  go  away  again  —  we  have  to  live  that 
way.  It  makes  no  difference :  you  and  I  think  the  same 
thoughts  in  the  same  way.  What  separation  does  a  little 
distance  put  between  you  and  me  ?  I  shall  follow  after 
you  step  by  step,  and  when  you  have  mounted  to  the 
broad  level  that  comes  after  accomplishment,  you  will  be 
glad  that  it  has  been  as  I  say,  not  different.  It  is  1  that 
must  long.  For  you  need  no  woman  to  comfort  and 
\  love  you  !  " 

It  was  finished,  and  we  sat  in  the  deepening  twilight 
beyond  words.  The  truth  of  what  she  had  spoken  filled 
my  mind.  There  was  nothing  else  for  us  two  but  what 
we  had  had  :  we  had  come  to  the  top  of  ourselves  to 
know  this,  to  look  it  in  the  face,  and  to  put  it  aside.  .  .  . 

The  twilight  silence  was  broken  sharp  in  two  by  a  cry 
that  rang  across  the  room.  We  started  from  our  dream 
together  and  looked  around.  Sarah  was  standing  mid 
way  in  the  long  room,  steadying  herself  by  a  hand 
reached  out  to  a  chair.  I  ran  to  hold  her  from  fulling. 
She  grasped  my  arm  and  walked  on  unsteadily  1 « .ward  Jane. 

"I  knew  it!     1  knew  it  always!"  she  cried  harshly. 


HAPPINESS 


259 


"You  tortuous  woman  —  you  are  taking  him  from  me! 
You  did  it  from  the  first  day  !     How  T  hate  you !  " 


"  No,  child,  you  are  wrong  !    There  is  no  truth  in  your  cruet  words.'1 

She  dropped  into  a  chair  and  sobbed.  Jane  knelt 
down  by  her  side  and,  grasping  her  hands,  spoke  to  her 
in  low,  pleading  words  :  — • 


•2(\0     THE   MEMOIRS   OB^   AN   AMERICAN   CITIZEN 

"  No,  child,  you  are  wrong !  You  wrong  him.  He  is 
not  such  a  man.  There  is  no  truth  in  your  cruel  words." 

"  Yes,  you  have  made  him  do  dishonorable  things. 
He  has  acted  so  his  own  family  have  left  him.  I  know 
it  is  you!  "  she  sobbed.  "  He  has  done  what  you  would 
have  him  do." 

"  Child,  child  !  "  Jane  exclaimed  impatiently,  shaking 
gently  the  hands  she  held.  "What  do  you  mean  by  say 
ing  such  a  thing  ?  " 

"  Hasn't  he  done  all  those  bad  things  ?  He  never 
denied  it,  not  when  he  was  accused  in  church  before 
every  one.  And  May  said  it  was  true." 

She  looked  resentfully  at  Jane  through  her  tears. 
The  older  woman  still  smiled  at  her  and  stroked  her 
hands. 

"  But  even  if  'it  were  true,  you  mustn't  take  the  part  of 
his  accusers !  That  isn't  for  a  woman  who  loves  him  to 
do.  You  must  trust  him  to  the  end." 

Sarah  looked  at  her  and  then  at  me.  She  pushed 
Jane  from  her  quickly. 

"  Don't  you  defend  him  to  me !  You  have  stolen  him  ! 
He  loves  you.  I  saw  it  once  before,  and  I  see  it  on  your 
face  now.  I  know  it ! " 

"  Come !  "  I  said,  taking  Sarah  by  the  arm  and  leading 
her  away.  "  You  don't  know  what  you  say." 

"  Yes,  I  do!  You  treat  me  like  a  child,  Van!  Why 
did  you  have  to  take  him  ?  "  she  turned  and  flamed  out 
to  Jane.  "  You  have  always  had  everything." 

"Have  I  had  everything  ?  "  the  other  woman  questioned 
slowly,  quietly,  as  if  musing  to  herself.  "  Everything  ? 


HAPPINESS  261 

Do  you  know  all,  child?  Let  me  tell  you  one  thing. 
Once  I  had  a  child — a  son.  One  child!  And  he  was 
born  blind.  He  lived  four  months.  Those  were  the 
only  months  I  think  I  have  ever  lived.  Do  you  think 
that  I  have  had  all  the  joy  ?  " 

She  was  stirred,  at  last,  passionate,  ironic,  and  Sarah 
looked  at  her  with  wondering  surprise,  with  awe. 

"  You  grudge  me  the  three  or  four  hours  your  husband 
has  given  me  out  of  the  ten  years  you  have  lived  with 
him  !  You  hate  me  because  he  has  talked  to  me  as  he 
would  talk  to  himself  —  as  he  would  talk  to  you  each 
day,  if  you  could  read  the  first  letter  of  his  mind.  And 
if  I  love  him  ?  If  he  loves  me  ?  Would  you  deny  your 
self  the  little  I  have  taken  from  you,  his  wife,  if  it  were 
yours  to  take  and  mine  to  lose  ?  But  be  content !  Not 
one  word  of  what  you  call  love  has  passed  between  us, 
or  ever  will.  Is  that  enough  ?  " 

They  looked  at  each  other  with  hate  plainly  written 
on  their  faces. 

"  You  are  a  bad  woman  !  "  Sarah  exclaimed  brokenly. 

"  Am  I  ?  Think  of  this,  then.  I  could  take  your 
husband  —  I  could  from  this  hour !  But  for  his  sake, 
for  his  sake,  I  will  not.  /  will  not ! " 

Sarah  groaned,  covering  her  eyes,  while  Jane  walked 
rapidly  out  of  the  room.  In  a  moment  the  carriage  door 
clicked  outside,  and  we  were  alone. 

"  You  love  that  woman,  Van  ! "  Sarah's  voice  broke  the 
silence  between  us  with  an  accusing  moan. 

"  Why  say  that  —  "I  began,  and  stopped  ;  for,  after 
this  hour,  I  knew  what  it  was  for  one  person  to  be  close 


2G2     THE   MEMOIRS    OF   AN   AMERICAN   CITIZEN 

to  another.  However,  it  seemed  a  foolish  thing  to  be 
talking  about.  There  would  be  no  gain  in  going  deeper 
into  our  hearts. 

"  There  has  never  been  a  word  between  us  that  you 
should  not  hear,"  I  replied;  "and  now  let  us  say  no 
more." 

But  Sarah  shook  her  head,  unconvinced. 

"It  is  two  years  or  more  since  I  have  seen  Jane,"  I 
added. 

"  That  makes  no  difference.  Jane  was  right !  You 
love  her!"  she  repeated  helplessly.  "What  shall  we 
do?" 

"Nothing!"  I  took  her  cold  hands  and  sat  down 
opposite  her,  drawing  her  nearer  me.  "  Don't  fear,  my 
wife.  They  are  going  away  again,  I  understand.  She 
will  go  out  of  our  life  for  always." 

"  I  have  my  children,"  Sarah  mused  after  a  pause. 

"  We  have  our  children,"  I  corrected.  "  And  it's  best 
to  think  of  them  before  ourselves." 

"  Oh,  if  we  could  take  them  and  go  away  to  some  little 
place,  to  live  like  my  people  down  in  Kentucky — you 
and  me  and  the  children  ! " 

I  smiled  to  myself  at  the  thought.  To  run  away  was 
not  just  to  pack  a  trunk,  as  Sarah  thought! 

"It  would  be  impossible.  Everything  would  go  to 

pieces.  I  should  lose  pretty  much  all  that  we  have 

not  only  that,  but  a  great  many  other  people  who  have 
trusted  me  with  their  money  would  lose.  I  must  work 
at  least  until  there  is  no  chance  of  loss  for  them." 

"  But  aren't  you  a  very  rich  mau,  Van  ?  " 


HAPPINESS  263 

"Not  so  rich  as  I  shall  be  some  day!     But  I  might 
make  out  to  live  in  Kentucky,  all  the  same." 
"You  think  I  must  have  a  great  deal  of  money?" 
"I  always  want  you  to  have  all  that  money  can  get." 
"  To  make  up  for  what  I  can't  have !  "     She  burst  into 
sobs.      "I   am   so  wretched,  Van!      Everything   seems 
strange.     I  have  tried  to  do  what  is   right.     But  God 
must  be  displeased  with  me :  He  has  taken  from  me  the 
one  thing  I  wanted." 

That  was  a  bitter  thought  to  lie  between  husband  and 
wife.  I  took  her  in  my  arms  and  comforted  her,  and 
together  we  saw  that  a  way  lay  clear  before  us,  doing  our 
duty  by  one  another  and  by  our  children,  and  in  the  end 
all  would  come  out  well.  As  we  sat  there  together,  it 
seemed  to  me  as  though  there  could  be  two  loves  in  a 
man's  life,  — the  love  for  the  woman  and  her  children, 
who  are  his  to  protect ;  and  the  hunger  love  at  the  bottom 
of  the  heart,  which  with  most  is  never  satisfied,  and  maybe 
never  can  be  satisfied  in  this  life. 

So  she  was  comforted  and  after  a  little  time  went  to 
her  room,  more  calm  in  spirit.  Then  I  called  my  secre 
tary,  and  we  worked  together  until  a  late  hour.  When 
my  mind  came  back  to  the  personal  question  of  living, 
the  fire  on  the  hearth  had  died  into  cold  ashes  and  the 
house  was  still  with  the  stillness  of  early  morning.  For 
the  moment  it  came  over  me  that  the  fight  I  was  waging"* 
with  fortune  was  as  cold  as  these  ashes  and"  doomeTTto 
failure.  And  the  end,  what  was  it? 

Upstairs,  Sarah  lay  half  dressed  on  the  lounge  in  my 
room,  asleep.     The  tears  had  dried  where  they  had  fallen 


THE   MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

on  her  cheeks  and  neck.  Her  hair  hung  down  loosely  as 
though  she  had  not  the  will  to  put  it  up  for  the  night. 
As  she  lay  there  asleep,  in  the  disorder  of  her  grief,  I 
knew  that  the  real  sorrow  of  life  was  hers,  not  mine.  The 
memory  of  that  day  of  our  engagement  came  back  to 
lne  —  when  I  had  wished  to  protect  and  cover  her  from 
the  hard  things  of  life.  And  again,  as  that  time,  I 
longed  to  take  her,  the  gentle  heart  so  easily  hurt,  and 
save  her  from  this  sorrow,  the  worst  that  can  come  to  a 
loving  woman.  As  I  kissed  the  stained  face,  she  awoke 
and  looked  at  me  wonderingly,  murmuring  half  asleep:  — 

"  What  is  it,  Van  ?  What  has  happened  ?  It  is  time 
for  you  to  go  to  bed.  I  remember  —  something  bad  has 
happened.  What  is  it,  Van?  Oh,  I  know  now  !  " 

She  shuddered  as  I  lifted  her  from  the  lounge. 

"  T  remember  now  what  it  is.  You  love  that  woman, 
but  1  can't  let  you  go.  I  can't  bear  it.  I  can't  live 
without  you !  " 

"  That  will  never  come  so  long  as  there  is  life  for  us 
both,"  I  promised. 

She  drew  her  arm  tight  about  my  neck. 

"Yes !     You  must  love  me  a  little  always." 


CHAPTER   XXIV 

i 

WAR 

Wall  street  and  the  people  of  the  country  —  Collateral  —  I  decide  to 
go  home  —  Slocum  finds  that  I  am  a  patriot — I  plan  to  enlist  — 
Hardman  once  more — Claims  —  A  midnight  problem — The 
telegram 

WAR  !  That  was  what  was  in  the  air  those  days.  It 
had  muttered  on  for  months,  giving  our  politicians  at 
Washington  something  to  mouth  about  in  their  less 
serious  hours.  Then  came  the  sinking  of  the  Maine  in 
Havana  Harbor,  and  even  Wall  Street  could  see  that  the 
country  was  drifting  fast  into  war.  And  in  their  jackal 
fashion,  the  men  of  Wall  Street  were  trying  to  make 
money  out  of  this  crisis  of  their  country,  starting  rumors 
from  those  high  in  authority  to  run  the  prices  of  their 
goods  up  and  down.  To  those  men  who  had  honest 
interests  at  stake  it  was  a  terrible  time  for  panic,  for 
uncertainty.  One  could  never  guess  what  might  happen 
over  night. 

But  throughout  the  land,  among  the  common  people,  x 
the  question  at  issue  had  been  heard  and.  judged.  The 
farmer  on  his  ranch,  the  laborer  in  his  factory,  the  hand 
on  the  railroad  —  the  men  of  the  land  up  and  down  the 
States  —  had  judged  this  question.  When  the  time  came 
their  judgment  got  itself  recorded ;  for  any  big  question 

265 


266    THE  MEMOIRS  OF  AX  AMERICAN  CITIZEN 

is  settled  just  that  way  by  those  men,  riot  at  Washington 
or  in  Wall  Street. 

The  sick  spirit  of  our  nation  needed  just  this  tonic  of 
a  generous  war,  fought  not  for  our  own  profit.  It  would 
do  us  good  to  give  ourselves  for  those  poor  Cuban  dogs. 
The  Jew  spirit  of  Wall  Street  doesn't  rule  this  country, 
after  all,  and  Wall  Street  doesn't  understand  that  the 
millions  in  the  land  long  to  hustle  sometimes  for  some 
thing  besides  their  own  bellies.  So,  although  Wall 
Street  groaned,  I  had  a  kind  of  faith  that  war  would 
be  a  good  thing,  cost  what  it  might. 

And  it  might  cost  me  the  work  of  my  life.     Latterly, 
with  the  revival  of  trade,  my  enterprises  had  been  pros 
pering,    and   were    emerging   from    that   doubtful    state 
where   they    were   blown   upon   by   every   wind   of   the 
market.      For   the  American   Meat  Products   Company 
.  had   kept    its   promise  and  was   earning   dividends.     It 
had  paid,  in  the  past  year,  six  per  cent  on  the  preferred 
stock,  and,  what  with  the  big  contracts  we  were  getting 
from  the  Government  just  now,  it  would  earn  something 
on  the  common.     So  far  very  little   of   our   stock  had 
come  upon  the  market,  although  the  period  covered  by 
the  agreement  among  the  stockholders  not  to  sell  their 
holdings  had  passed.     In  spite  of  Mr.  Dround's  threats, 
there  was  no  evidence  that  he  had  disposed  of  his  stock 
up  to  this  time.     It  was  probable  that  when  he  saw  what 
a  good  earner  the  company  had  proved  to  be,  he  had 
reconsidered  his  scruples,  as  he  had  done  years  before  in 
the  matter  of  private  agreements  and  rebates. 

And  that  rag  of  a  railroad  out  of  Kansas  City,  which 


WAR  267 

Farson  and  his  friends  found  left  on  their  hands  in  the 
panic  times  of  '93,  now  reached  all  the  way  to  the  Gulf 
and  was  spreading  fast  into  a  respectable  system.  After 
Farson  had  withdrawn  his  help  at  the  time  of  our  dis 
agreement,  we  had  interested  a  firm  of  bankers  in  New 
York,  and,  one  way  and  another,  had  built  and  equipped 
the  road.  A  few  years  of  good  times,  and  all  this  net 
work  of  enterprises  would  be  beyond  attack.  Meanwhile, 
I  was  loaded  down  to  the  water's  edge  with  the  securities 
of  these  new  companies,  and  had  borrowed  heavily  at 
home  and  in  the  East  in  the  effort  to  push  through  my 
plans. 

This  was  my  situation  on  that  eventful  day  when  the 
news  of  the  sinking  of  the  Maine  was  telegraphed  over 
the  country,  and  even  gilt-edged  securities  began  to 
tumble,  to  slide  downhill  in  a  mad  whirl.  In  such  times 
collateral  shrank  like  snow  before  a  south  wind. 

All  the  morning  I  had  sat  in  my  office  with  a  tele 
phone  at  my  ear,  and  it  seemed  to  me  that  but  one  word 
came  from  it  —  Collateral!  collateral!  Where  was  it  to 
be  had?  Finally,  I  hung  up  the  receiver  of  my  tele 
phone  and  leaned  back  in  my  chair,  dazed  by  the  mad 
whirl  along  which  I  was  being  carried.  My  secretary 
opened  the  door  and  asked  if  I  would  see  So-and-so  and  * 
the  next  man.  A  broker  was  clamoring  to  get  at  me.  ] 
They  all  wanted  one  thing  —  money.  Their  demands 
came  home  to  me  faintly,  like  the  noise  of  rain  on  a 
window. 

"  Jim,"  I  said  to  the  man,  "  I  am  tired.  I  am  going 
home." 


268     THE   MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

"  Going  home  ?  "  he  gasped,  not  believing  his  ears. 

«  Tell  'em  all  I  am  going  home!  Tell  'em  anything  you 
want  to." 

While  the  young  man  was  still  staring  at  me,  Slocum 
burst  past  him  into  the  room.  Even  his  impassive  face 
was  twisted  into  a  scowl  of  fear. 

"  Harris  is  out  there,"  he  said  hurriedly.  "  He  says 
some  one  is  selling  Meat  Products  common  and  pre 
ferred.  Big  chunks  of  it  are  coming  on  the  market, 
and  the  price  has  dropped  fifteen  points  during  the 
morning." 

T  said  nothing.  Anything  was  to  be  expected  in  this 
whirlwind. 

"  Do  you  suppose  it's  Dround's  stock  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Perhaps,"  I  nodded.  "  It  don't  make  much  difference 
to  us  whose  it  is." 

"  AVe  can't  let  this  go  on." 

"  I  guess  it  will  have  to  go  on,"  I  replied  listlessly. 

Slocum  looked  at  me  wonderingly.  He  had  seen  me 
crawl  out  of  a  good  many  small  holes,  and  he  was  waiting 
for  the  word  of  action  now. 

"  Well  ?  "  he  asked  at  last. 

u  I  am  going  home."  I  got  up  and  took  his  arm. 
"Come  along  with  me,  old  man.  I  want  to  get  out  of 
this  noise." 

The  elevator  dropped  us  into  the  hurly-burly  of  the 
street.  Men  were  hurrying  in  and  out  of  the  brokers' 
offices,  where  the  last  reports  for  the  day  were  coming  in. 

«  ]) — n  this  war!"  Slocum  swore,  as  I  paused  to  bay 
a  paper. 


WAR  269 

"Don't  say  that,  Slo  !  "  I  protested.  "This  war  is  a 
great  thing,  and  every  decent  American  ought  to  be  proud 
of  his  country,  by  thunder  !  I  am." 

The  lawyer  looked  at  me  as  if  my  head  had  suddenly 
gone  back  on  me. 

"  I  mean  it.  I  tell  you,  Slo,  nations  are  like  men. 
They  have  their  work  to  do  in  this  life.  When  it  comes 
to  an  issue  like  this,  they  can't  shirk  any  more  than  a 
man  can.  If  they  do,  it  will  be  worse  for  them.  This 
war  will  do  us  good,  will  clean  us  and  cure  us  for  a  good 
long  time  of  this  cussed,  little  peevish  distemper  we  have 
been  through  since  '93.  That  was  just  selfish  introspec 
tion.  This  fight  for  Cuba  will  bring  us  all  together.  We'll 
work  for  something  better  than  our  bellies.  There's  noth 
ing  so  good  as  a  dose  of  real  patriotism  once  in  a  while." 

"  Van,  you  ought  to  be  in  the  Senate  !  "  he  jeered. 

"  Perhaps  I  shall  be  there  one  of  these  days,  when  I 
have  finished  this  other  job." 

The  idea  seemed  to  strike  him  humorously. 

"  You  think  it  might  be  hard  work  for  me  to  prove  my 
patriotism  to  the  people?  Don't  you  believe  it.  The 
people  don't  remember  slander  long.  And  those  things 
you  and  I  have  done  which  have  set  the  newspapers 
talking  don't  worry  anybody.  They  are  just  the  tricks 
of  the  game." 

So  we  sauntered  on  through  the  streets  that  March 
afternoon,  discussing,  like  two  schoolboys,  patriotism  and 
government ;  while  back  in  the  office  we  had  left  white- 
faced  men  were  clamoring  for  a  word  with  me,  seeking 
to  find  out  whether  I  was  to  go  under  at  last 


270     THE   MEMOIRS   OF   AN   AMERICAN   CITIZEN 


"Well,"  Slocum  finally  asked,  as  lie  was  leaving  me, 
"  what  are  you  going  to  do  about  this  pinch  ?  " 

''There's  nothing  to  be  done  to-night.  I'm  going  to 
read  the  papers  and  see  what  they  say  about  the  war. 
I  am  going  home.  Perhaps  to-morrow  it  will  be  all  over. 
Lordy  !  We'll  make  a  tolerable  big  smash  when  we  go 
down !  " 

"  Get  some  sleep  !  "  was  Slocum's  advice. 

The  papers  were  red-hot  with  the  war  spirit,  and  they  did 
me  good.     Somehow,  I  was  filled  with  a  strange  gladness 
because  of  the  war.     Pride  in  the  people  of  my  country, 
who  could  sacrifice  themselves  for  another  people,  swelled 
/my  heart.     Where  could  you  read  of  a  finer  thing  in  all 
(  history  than  the  way  the  people's  wrath  had  compelled 
'\  the  corrupt,  self-seeking  politicians  in  Washington  to  do 
jtheir  will  — to  strike  an  honest  blow,  to  redeem  a  suffer- 
/ing  people  !     It  comes  not  often  in  any  man's  life  to  feel 
1  himself  one  of  a  great  nation  when  it  arises  in  a  righteous 
\cause  with  all  the  passion  of  its  seventy  millions.     Let 
the  panic  wipe  out  my  little  pile  of  money.     Let  the  war 
break  up  the  dreams  of  my  best  years  —  I  would  not  for 
that  selfish  cause  stay  its  course.     It  made  a  man  feel 
clean  to  think  there  was  something  greater  in  life  than 
^himself  and  his  schemes. 

I  walled  on  aftd  on  in  the  March  twilight,  leaving  be 
hind  me  the  noisy  city,  and  the  struggle  of  the  market. 
Why  not  go  myself —  why  not  enlist?  I  suddenly  asked 
of  myself.  The  very  thought  of  it  made  me  throw  up 
my  head.  Slocum  could  gather  up  the  fragments  as  well 


WAR 


271 


as  I,  and  there  would  be  enough  left  in  any  case  for  the 
children  and  Sarah.    Better  that  fight  than  this  !    When 


F  . 


Tn-0.ntj  I  should  like  to  slip  back  once  more  to  the  bum  that  landed 
in  Chicago  —  unattached,  unburdened,  unbound. 

the  President  issued  a  call  for  volunteers,  maybe  I  could 
raise  a  regiment  from  our  men. 


272    TIN:  MI:M<HRS  OF  AN  AMERICAN  CITIZEN 

The  street  was  shadowed  by  the  solid  houses  of  the 
rich,  the  respectable  stone  and  brick  palaces  of  the  "  cap 
tains  of  industry,"  each  big  enough  to  house  a  dozen 
Jasonville  families.  I  looked  at  them  with  the  eyes  of  a 
stranger,  as  I  had  the  day  when  I  roamed  Chicago  in 
search  of  a  job.  Perhaps  I  had  envied  these  men  then  ; 
but  small  comfort  had  I  ever  had  from  all  the  wealth  I 
had  got  out  of  the  city.  Food  and  drink,  a  place  to 
sleep  in,  some  clothes  —  comfort  for  my  wife  and  children 
—  what  else?  To-day  I  should  like  to  slip  back  once 
more  to  the  bum  that  landed  in  Chicago  —  unattached, 
\  unburdened,  unbound.  .  .  . 

I  let  myself  into  the  silent  house.  Sarah  and  the 
children  were  at  our  place  in  Vermilion  County,  where 
1  had  a  house  and  two  thousand  acres  of  good  land, 
to  which  I  escaped  for  a  few  days  now  and  then.  I  had 
my  dinner  and  was  smoking  a  cigar  when  a  servant 
brought  me  word  that  a  man  was  waiting  to  see  me  below. 
When  I  went  into  the  hall  I  saw  a  figure  standing  by 
the  door,  holding  his  hat  in  his  hands.  In  the  dim  light 
I  could  not  make  out  his  face  and  asked  him  to  step 
into  the  library,  where  I  turned  on  the  light.  It  was  the 
preacher  Hardman. 

"  What  do  you  want  ?  "  I  asked  in  some  surprise. 

"  I  suppose  I  ought  not  to  trouble  you  here  at  this 
hour,  Mr.  Harrington,"  he  said  timidly.  "But  I  am 
much  worried.  You  remember  that  investment  you  were 
kind  enough  to  make  for  me  a  few  years  ago  ?  " 

His  question  recalled  to  my  mind  the  fact  that  he  had 
given  me  a  little  inheritance  which  had  come  to  his  wife, 


WAR 


273 


asking  me  to  invest  it  for  him.     I  had  put  it  into  some 
construction  bonds. 

"  What  about  it  ?  "  I  asked. 

He  stammered  out  his  story.  Some  one  had  told  him 
that  I  was  in  a  bad  shape  ;  he  had  also  read  a  piece  in  the 
paper  about  the  road,  and  he  had  become  scared.  It 
had  not  occurred  to  him  to  sell  his  bonds  before  he 
preached  that  little  sermon  at  me ;  but,  now  that  my  sins 
were  apparently  about'  to  overtake  me,  he  wished  to  save 
his  little  property  from  destruction. 

"  Why  don't  you  sell  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  I  have  tried  to,"  he  admitted,  "  but  the  price  offered 
me  is  very  low." 

I  laughed  at  the  fellow's  simple  egotism. 

"So  you  thought  I  might  take  your  bonds  off  your 
hands  ?  Got  them  there  ?  " 

"My  wife  thought,  as  your—  '  he  stammered.  I 
waived  his  excuse  aside. 

He  drew  the  bonds  from  his  coat  pocket.  As  I  sat 
down  to  write  a  check  I  said  jokingly :  - 

"Better  hustle  round  to  the  bank  to-morrow  and  get 
your  cash." 

"I  trust  you  are  not  seriously  incommoded  by  this 
panic,"  he  remarked  inquiringly. 

"  Gold's  the  thing  these  days!  "  I  laughed. 

(The  cashier  at  the  bank  told  me  afterward  that  Hard- 
man  made  such  a  fuss  when  he  went  to  cash  his  check 
that  they  actually  had  to  hand  him  out  six  thousand  dol 
lars  in  gold  coin.) 

The  preacher  man  had  no  more  than  crawled  out  with 

T 


274     THi:    MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITIZKN 

profuse  words  of  thanks  than  I  had  another  caller.  This 
time  it  was  a  young  doctor  of  my  acquaintance.  lie 
was  trying  to  put  on  an  indifferent  air,  as  if  he  had 
been  used  to  Financial  crises  all  his  life.  He  had  his 
doubts  in  his  eyes,  however,  and  I  took  him  into  my 
confidence. 

"  If  you  possibly  can,  stick  to  what  you  have  got.  It 
may  take  a  long  time  for  prices  to  get.  back  to  the  right 
place,  but  this  tumble  is  only  temporary.  Have  faith  — 
faith  in  your  judgment,  faith  in  your  country  !  " 

I  knew  something  of  his  story,  of  the  hard  fight  he 
had  made  to  get  his  education,  of  his  marriage  and  his 
wife's  sickness,  with  success  always  put  off  into  the  fu 
ture.  He  had  brought  me  his  scrapings  and  savings, 
and  I  had  made  the  most  of  them. 

When  at  last  the  doctor  had  gone  away  somewhat  re 
assured,  I  sat  down  to  think.  There  were  a  good  many 
others  like  these  two  — little  people  or  well-to-do,  who 
had  put  their  faith  in  me  and  had  trusted  their  money 
to  my  enterprises.  Not  much,  each  one;  but  in  every 
case  a  cruel  sum  to  lose.  They  had  brought  me  their 
savings,  their  legacies,  because  they  knew  me  or  had 
heard  that  I  had  made  money  rapidly.  Could  I  leave 
them  now? 

I  might  be  willing  to  go  off  to  Cuba  and  see  my  own 
fortune  fade  into  smoke.  But  how  about  their  mon.-v  ? 
No  —  it  was  not  a  simple  thing  just  to  go  broke  by  one's 
self.  To-morrow  my  office  would  be  crowded  by  these 
followers,  and  there  would  be  letters  and  telegrams  fi-..m 
those  who  couldn't  get  there.  So  back  to  the  old  prob- 


WAR 


275 


lem!     I  rested  my  head  on  my  hands  and  went  over 

in    my   mind    the    situation,    the 

amount  of  my  loans,  the  eternal 

question  of  credit  —  where  to  get 

a  handhold  to  stay  me  while  the 

whirlwind   passed,  as   I   knew  it 

must  pass. 

Hour  after  hour  I  wrestled  with 
myself.  Ordinarily  I  could  close 
my  eyes  on  any  danger  and  get 
the  sleep  that  Nature  owes  every 
hard-working  sinner.  But  not 
to-night.  I  sat  with  my  hands 
locked,  thinking.  Along  about 
midnight  there  sounded  in  the 
silent  house  a  ring  at  the  door-bell : 
it  was  a  messenger  boy  with  a  de 
layed  telegram.  I  tore  it  open 
and  read :  — 

"  Remember  my  letter."     It  was 

dated  from  Washington,  and  was       It  was  a  messenger  boy 
not  signed.  Wit1i  a  delayed  tele 

gram. 


CHAPTER   XXV 

THE    LAST    DITCH 

Romantic  folly  —  The  impulse  that  comes  from  beyond  our  sight 
—  I  go  to  seek  Mr.  Carboncr — An  unpromising  location  for  a 
banker— I  receive  advice  and  help  —  Dickie  Pierson  gets  an 
order  from  me — What  is  Strauss' 's  game? 

THE  yellow  paper  lay  in  my  hand,  and,  with  a  flash,  my 
memory  went  back  to  that  mysterious  note  which  Jane 
Dround  had  sent  on  the  eve  of  her  departure  for  Europe. 
It  lay  undisturbed  in  a  drawer  of  my  office  desk.  I  smiled 
impatiently  at  the  woman's  folly  —  of  the  letter,  the  tele 
gram.  And  yet  it  warmed  my  heart  that  she  should  be 
thinking  of  me  this  day,  that  she  should  divine  my 
troubles.  And  I  seemed  to  see  her  dark  eyebrows  arched 
with  scorn  at  my  weakness,  her  thin  lips  curl  disdain 
fully,  as  if  to  say  :  "  Was  this  to  be  your  finish  ?  Have  I 
helped  you,  believed  in  you,  all  these  years,  to  have  you 
fall  now  ?  "  So  she  had  spoken. 

But  still  I  was  unconvinced,  and  in  this  state  of  mind 
I  went  back  to  bed,  knowing  that  I  should  need  on  the 
morrow  what  sleep  I  could  get.  But  sleep  did  not  come : 
instead,  my  mind  busied  itself  with  Jane  Dround's  letter 
—  with  the  woman  herself.  As  the  night  grew  toward 
morning  I  arose,  dressed  myself,  and  left  the  house.  The 
letter  in  my  office  pulled  me  like  a  thread  of  fate ;  and  I 

276 


THE   LAST   DITCH  277 

obeyed  its  call  like  a  child.  In  the  lightening  dawn  I 
hurried  through  the  streets  to  the  lofty  building  where 
the  Products  Company  had  its  offices,  and  groped  my  way 
up  the  long  flights  of  stairs.  As  I  sat  down  at  my  desk 
and  unlocked  the  drawers,  the  morning  sun  shot  in  from 
the  lake  over  the  smoky  buildings  beneath  me.  After 
some  hunting  I  found  the  letter.  Mrs.  Dround  wrote  a 
peculiar  hand  —  firm,  clear,  unchangeable,  but  with  curi 
ous  tiny  flourishes  about  the  r's  and  s's. 

As  I  glanced  at  it,  the  woman  herself  rose  before  my 
eyes,  and  she  sat  across  the  desk  from  me,  looking  into 
my  face.  "Yes,  I  need  you,'7  I  found  myself  mutter 
ing;  "not  any  letter,  but  you,  with  your  will  and  your 
courage,  now,  if  ever.  For  this  is  the  last  ditch,  sure 
enough  !  " 

The  letter  shook  in  my  hand  and  beat  against  the 
desk.  It  was  a  silly  thing  to  leave  my  bed  and  come 
chasing  down  here  at  five  in  the  morning  to  get  hold 
of  a  romantic  woman's  letter  !  My  nerves  were  wrong. 
Something  in  me  revolted  from  going  any  further  with 
this  weakness,  and  I  still  hesitated  to  tear  open  the  en 
velope.  The  other  battles  of  my  life  I  had  won  unaided. 

At  the  bottom  of  our  hearts  there  is  a  feeling  which 
we  do  not  understand,  a  respect  for  the  unknown.  Terror, 
fear,  — call  it  what  you  will,  —  sometime  in  life  every  one 
is  made  to  feel  it.  All  my  life  has  been  given  to  prac 
tical  facts,  yet  I  know  that  at  the  end  of  all  things  there 
are  no  facts.  In  the  silence  and  gray  light  of  that  morn 
ing  I  felt  the  strong  presence  of  my  friend,  holding  out 
to  me  a  hand.  ...  I  tore  open  the  letter.  Inside  was 


For  tltis  is  the  last  ditch,  sure  enoiujh  /" 
278 


THE   LAST   DITCH  279 

another  little  envelope,  which  contained  a  visiting-card. 
On  it  was  written  :  "  Mr.  J.  Carboner,  230  West  Lake 
Street,"  and  beneath,  in  fine  script,  this  one  sentence  : 
"  Mr.  Carboner  is  a  good  adviser —  see  him  I  " 

This  was  fit  pay  for  my  folly.  Of  all  the  sentimental 
nonsense,  an  adviser !  What  was  wanted  was  better 
than  a  million  dollars  of  ready  cash  —  within  three 
hours.  It  was  now  half-past  six  o'clock,  and  I  had 
left  until  half-past  nine  to  find  an  ordinary,  practical 
way  out  of  my  present  difficulties.  Then  the  banks 
would  be  open ;  the  great  wheel  of  business  would  be 
gin  to  revolve,  with  its  sure,  merciless  motion.  Never 
theless,  in  spite  of  my  scepticism,  my  eyes  wandered  to 
a  map  of  the  city  that  hung  on  the  wall,  and  I  made 
out  the  location  of  the  address  given  on  the  card.  It 
was  a  bare  half-mile  across  the  roofs  from  where  I  sat, 
in  a  quarter  of  the  city  lying  along  the  river,  given 
up  to  brick  warehouses,  factories,  and  freight  yards. 
Small  likelihood  that  a  man  with  a  million  to  spare  in 
his  pocket  was  to  be  found  over  there  ! 

In  this  mood  of  depression  and  disgust  I  left  my 
office,  to  get  shaved.  "  Street  floor,  sir,"  the  elevator  boy 
called  out  to  wake  me  from  my  preoccupation.  As  I  stood 
on  the  curb  in  the  same  will-less  daze,  a  cab  came  prowl 
ing  down  the  street,  crossed  to  my  side,  and  the  dis 
reputable-looking  driver  touched  his  dirty  hat  with  his 
whip :  — 

"  Cab,  sir  ?  " 

"  Two-thirty  West  Lake,"  I  said  to  him  mechanically, 
and  plunged  into  his  carriage. 


280     THE   MEMOIRS   OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

The  cab  finally  drew  up  beside  a  low,  grimy  brick 
building  that  looked  as  if  it  might  have  survived  the 
fire.  There  was  a  flight  of  dirty  stairs  leading  from  the 
street  to  the  office  floor,  and  over  the  small,  old-fashioned 
windows  a  faded  sign  read  "Jules  Carboner."  In  re 
sponse  to  my  knock  an  old  man  opened  the  locked  door 
a  crack  and  looked  out  at  me.  When  I  asked  to  see  Mr. 
Carboner,  he  admitted  me  suspiciously  to  a  little  room, 
which  was  divided  in  two  by  a  high  iron  screen.  On  the 
inner  side  of  the  screen  there  was  a  battered  desk,  a  few 
chairs,  and  a  row  of  leather-backed  folios  that  might 
have  been  in  use  since  the  founding  of  the  city.  A  small 
coal  fire  was  burning  dully  in  the  grate.  As  I  stood 
waiting  for  Mr.  Carboner.  a  barge  laden  with  lumber  cast 
its  shadow  through  theairty  windows.  .  .  . 

"  And  what  may  you  want  of  me  ?  " 

The  words  were  uttered  like  a  cough.  The  one  who 
spoke  them  had  entered  the  inner  office  so  noiselessly  that 
I  had  not  heard  him.  He  had  a  white  head  of  hair, 
and  jet-black  eyes.  I  handed  him  my  card  with  Mrs. 
Dround's  note. 

"  I  was  expecting  you,"  the  old  gentleman  remarked, 
glancing  indifferently  at  my  card.  He  unlocked  the  door 
of  the  iron  grating  and  held  it  open,  pointing  to  a  chair 
in  front  of  the  fire.  Mr.  Carboner  was  short  and  round, 
with  swarthy,  full-blooded  cheeks.  Evidently  he  was 
some  sort  of  foreigner,  but  I  could  not  place  him  among 
the  types  of  men  I  knew. 

"  What  do  you  want  of  me?  "  he  demanded  briskly. 

"  Oh,  just  a  lot  of  money,  first  and  last !  "  I  laughed. 


THE    LAST    DITCH 

This  announcement  didn't  seem  to  trouble  him;  he 
waited  for  my  explanation.  And  remembering  that  I 
was  to  look  to  him  for  advice  as  well  as  cash,  I  pro 
ceeded  to  explain  briefly  the  situation  that  I  found 
myself  in.  He  listened  without  comment. 

"Finally,"  I  said  rather  wearily,  "just  now,  when  I 
am  in  deep  water  with  this  railroad  and  all  the  rest,  and 
the  banks  calling  my  loans,  some  fellows  are  selling  their 
Meat  Products  stock.  It  will  all  go  to  my  enemies  —  to 
Strauss  and  his  crowd,  and  I  shall  find  myself  presently 
kicked  out  of  the  company.  I  suppose  it's  Mr.  Dround's 
stock  that's  coming  on  the  market.  It's  like  him  to  sell 
when  prices  are  going  down." 

The  little  old  fellow  shook  his  head. 
"It  is  not   Mr.   Dround's  stock,"   he  said.     "Most  of 
that  is  over  there."     He  nodded  his  head  in  the  direction 
of  a  small  safe  which  stood  in  one  corner  of  the  room. 

"  How  did  you  get  it  ?  "  I  exclaimed  in  my  astonish 
ment,  jumping  to  my  feet. 

"Never  mind  how  —we  have  had  it  three  months,"  he 
replied  with  a  smile.  "  You  need  not  fear  that  it  will 
come  on  the  market  just  now." 

My  heart  gave  a  great  bound  upward :  with  this  block 
of  stock  locked  up  I  could  do  what  I  would  with  Meat 
Products.  Strauss  could  never  put  his  hands  on  it. 
Jane  Dround  must  have  worked  this  stroke ;  but  how  she 
did  it  was  a  mystery.  I  walked  back  and  forth  in  my 
excitement,  and  when  I  sat  down  once  more  Mr.  Carboner 
began  a  neat  little  summary  of  my  situation :  - 

"You  are    engaged    in    many   ventures.      Some    are 


282     THE   MEMOIRS   OF   AN   AMERICAN   CITIZEN 

strong."  He  named  all  the  good  ones  as  if  he  were  quot 
ing  from  a  carefully  drawn  report.  "Some  are  weak." 
He  named  the  others.  "  Now,  you  are  trying  to  hold  the 
weak  with  the  strong.  It  is  like  carrying  a  basket  of 
eggs  on  your  head.  All  goes  well  until  some  one  runs 
against  you.  Then  bum,  biff !  —  you  have  the  beginning 
of  an  omelet." 

His  way  of  putting  it  made  me  laugh. 

"And  the  omelet  is  about  ready  to  cook  in  an  hour  or 
two !  "  I  added. 

"  We  shall  see  presently.  You  want  to  sell  out  this 
packing  business,  some  day,  eh  ?  To  Strauss  ?  You  take 
big  chances.  You  are  a  new  man.  They  suspect  you. 
They  call  your  loans.  They  think  that  you  are  thin  in 
the  waist  ?  You  have  to  borrow  a  great  deal  of  money 
and  pay  high  for  it  ?  " 

"  You  have  sized  me  up,  Mr.  Carboner." 

"  And  after  you  have  sold  to  Strauss  there  will  be  rail 
roads  —  ah,  that  is  more  difficult !  And  then  many  other 
things  —  always  ventures,  risks,  schemes,  plans,  great 
plans  !  For  you  are  very  bold." 

"  Well,  what  will  you  do  for  me  ?  "  I  asked  bluntly. 

"  I  think  we  can  carry  you  over  this  river,  Mr.  Harring 
ton,"  he  replied,  looking  at  me  with  a  very  amiable  air, 
as  if  he  were  my  schoolmaster  and  had  decided  to  give 
me  a  holiday  and  some  spending  money.  Who  made  up 
the  "we"  in  this  firm  of  Rip  Van  Winkle  bankers? 
Carboner  seemed  to  divine  my  doubts ;  for  he  smiled  as 
he  reached  for  a  pad  of  paper  and  began  to  write  in  a 
close,  crabbed  hand. 


THE   LAST   DITCH  283 

"  Take  that  to  Mr.  Bates,"  he  directed.  "  You  know 
him,  eh  ?  " 

Did  I  know  Orlando  Bates  !  If  I  had  been  to  him  once 
at  the  Tenth  National,  of  which  he  was  president,  I  had 
been  to  him  fifty  times,  with  varying  results.  I  knew 
every  wrinkle  in  his  parchment-covered  face. 

"  He  will  give  you  what  you  want,'7  the  old  man 
added. 

I  still  hesitated,  holding  Carboner's  scrawl  in  my 
hand. 

"  You  think  it  no  good  ?  "  He  motioned  to  the  sheet 
of  coarse  paper.  "  Try  it ! " 

"  Don't  you  want  a  receipt  ?  "  I  stammered. 

"  What  for  ?     Do  you  think  I  am  a  pawnbroker  ?  " 

The  mystery  grew.  Suppose  I  should  take  this  old 
fellow's  scrawl  over  to  Orlando  Bates,  and  the  president 
of  the  Tenth  National  should  ask  me  what  it  meant  ? 

"It  is  good,"  Carboner  said  impressively. 

"  Whose  is  it  ?  "  The  words  escaped  me  unconsciously. 
"  I  want  to  know  whose  money  I  am  taking." 

"  I  hope  it  will  be  no  one's,"  he  answered  imperturbably, 
"except  the  bank's.  You  come  to  me  wanting  money, 
credit.  I  give  it  to  you.  I  ask  no  questions.  Why  should 
you  ?  " 

Was  it  a  woman's  money  I  was  taking  to  play  out  my 
game.  I  recalled  the  story  Sarah  had  told  me  years 
ago  about  Jane  Dround's  father  and  his  fortune.  He 
was  a  rich  old  half-breed  trader;  and  it  was  gossiped  that 
he  had  left  behind  him  a  pile  of  gold.  Perhaps  this  Mr. 
Carboner  was  some  French-Canadian  friend  or  business 


284    TIIK   .MEMOIRS    OF   AN    AMERICAN    CITI/KN 

partner  of  Jane's  father,  who  had  charge  of  her  affairs. 
As  Sarah  had  said,  Jane  Dround  was  always  secret  and 
uncommunicative  about  herself.  My  faith  in  the  piece 
of  paper  was  growing,  but  I  still  waited. 

"  If  you  lay  these  matters  down  now,"  Carboner  ob 
served  coldly,  poking  the  lire  with  an  old  pair  of  tongs, 


u  If  you  grasp  them  in  a  strong  hand,  they  will  become 


"  they  will  be  glass.    If  you  grasp  them  in  a  strong  hand, 
they  will  become  diamonds." 

But  to  take  a  woman's  money !  I  thought  for  a  mo 
ment  —  and  then  dismissed  the  scruple  as  swiftly  as  it 
had  come.  This  woman  was  a  good  gambler! 


THE    LAST    DITCH  285 

"  All  right !  "  I  exclaimed,  drawing  on  my  overcoat, 
which  I  had  laid  aside. 

"Good!  Don't  worry  about  anything.  Make  your 
trees  bear  fruit.  That  is  what  you  can  do,  young  man." 
Old  Carboner  patted  me  on  the  back  in  a  fatherly  fashion. 
"  Now  we  will  have  some  coffee  together.  There  is  yet 
time." 

The  man  who  had  opened  the  door  for  me  brought  in 
two  cups  of  strong  coffee,  and  I  drank  mine  standing 
while  Carboner  sipped  his  and  talked. 

"  This  disturbance  will  be  over  soon,"  he  said  sagely. 
"  Then  we  shall  have  such  times  of  wealth  and  specula 
tion  as  the  world  has  never  seen.  Great  things  will  be 
done  in  a  few  years,  and  you  will  do  some  of  them. 
There  are  those  who  have  confidence  in  you,  my  son. 
And  confidence  is  worth  many  millions  in  gold." 

He  gave  me  his  hand  in  dismissal. 

"  Come  to  see  me  again,  and  we  will  talk,"  he  added 
sociably. 

On  the  ground  floor  of  my  building  there  was  a  broker's 
office.  It  was  a  new  firm  of  young  men,  without  much 
backing.  My  old  friend,  Dickie  Pierson,  was  one  of 
them,  and  on  his  account  I  had  given  the  firm  some  busi 
ness  now  and  then.  This  morning,  as  I  was  hurrying 
back  to  my  office,  I  ran  into  Dick  standing  in  the  door 
of  his  place.  He  beckoned  me  into  the  room  where 
the  New  York  quotations  were  beginning  to  go  up  on 
the  board.  He  pointed  to  the  local  list  of  the  day 
before;  Meat  Products  stretched  in  a  long  string  of 


286     TIN-:    MK.MOIKS    OF   AN    AM  Kit  IT  AN    CITIZEN 

quotations  across  the  board,  mute  evidence  of  yester 
day's  slaughter. 

"  What's  wrong  with  your  concern  ? "  Dick  asked 
anxiously.  "  Some  one  is  pounding  it  for  all  he  is 
worth." 

"  Who  were  selling  yesterday  ?  " 

"  Stearns  &  Harris,"  he  answered.  (They  were  brokers 
that  Strauss's  crowd  were  known  to  use.) 

There  was  a  mystery  here  somewhere.  For  there 
could  not  be  any  considerable  amount  of  the  stock  loose, 
now  that  Dround's  block  was  locked  up  in  Jules  Car- 
boner's  safe.  Yet  did  the  Strauss  crowd  dare  to  sell  it 
short  in  this  brazen  way  ?  They  must  think  it  would  be 
cheap  enough  soon,  or  they  knew  where  they  could  get 
some  stock  when  they  wanted  it. 

"  What's  up  ? "  Dick  asked  again,  hovering  at  my 
elbow.  I  judged  that  he  had  gone  into  Meat  Products 
on  his  own  account,  and  wanted  to  know  which  way  to 
jump. 

"  It  looks  bad  for  us,"  I  said  confidentially  to  Dickie. 
"You  needn't  publish  this  on  the  street."  (I  reckoned 
that  the  tip  would  be  on  the  ticker  before  noon.)  "  But 
Dround  has  gone  over  to  the  other  crowd.  And  probably 
some  of  our  people  are  squeezed  just  now  so  they  can't 
hold  their  Meat  Products."  I  added  some  yarn  about  a^ 
lawsuit  to  make  doubly  sure  of  Dickie,  and  ordered  him 
to  sell  a  few  hundred  shares  on  my  own  account  as  a 
clincher. 

\VhenI  reached  my  telephone  I  called  up  some  brokers 
that  I  trusted  and  told  them  to  watch  the  market  for 


THE   LAST    DITCH  287 

Meat  Products  stock,  and  pick  it  up  quietly,  leading  on 
the  gang  that  was  pounding  our  issues  all  they  could. 
An  hour  later,  011  my  way  back  from  the  Tenth  National, 
where  I  had  had  a  most  satisfactory  interview  with  Mr. 
Orlando  Bates,  I  dropped  in  at  Dickie  Pierson's  place. 
Meat  Products  shares  were  active,  and  in  full  retreat 
across  the  broad  board. 

"I  guess  you  had  better  sell  some  more  for  me/7  I  said 
to  Dickie.     "  Sell 'a  thousand  to-morrow." 


CHAPTER   XXVI 

VICTORY 

The  shorts  are  caught  —  Big  John  comes  to  my  office  to  get  terms  — 
An  exchange  of  opinions  —  An  alliance  proposed  —  /  reject  it  — 
My  enemies  are  flattering  —  /  have  arrived 

THEY  sent  old  John  Carmichael  around  to  treat  with 
me.  He  had  to  come  to  the  office  the  same  as  any  other 
man  who  had  a  favor  to  ask.  Slocum  and  I  and  two  or 
three  others  who  were  close  to  us  were  there  waiting  for 
him,  and  discussing  the  terms  we  should  give. 

"They  must  be  short  in  the  neighborhood  of  fifteen 
thousand  shares  common  and  preferred  the  best  .we  can 
make  out,"  Slocum  reported,  after  conferring  with  our 
brokers.  "  How  did  you  have  the  nerve,  Van,  to  run 
this  corner  when  you  knew  Dround's  stock  was  loose  ?  " 

"  It  isn't  loose,"  I  answered. 

"  Where  is  it,  then  ?  We  know  pretty  well  where 
every  other  share  is,  but  his  block  has  dropped  out  of 
the  market.  It  was  transferred  to  some  New  York 
parties  last  October." 

I  smiled  tranquilly.  There  had  been  no  leak  in  our 
barrel.  Slocum  and  I  had  been  around  to  all  the  other 
large  holders  of  Meat  Products,  and  I  knew  they  would 
not  go  back  on  us.  The  Strauss  crowd  would  find  the 
corner  invulnerable. 

288 


VICTORY 


289 


When  Carmichael  came  in  he  nodded  to  me  familiarly, 
just  as  he  used  to  at  Dround's  when  he  had  been  away 
on  a  trip  to  New  York  or  some  place,  and  called  out 
gruffly :  - 

"  Say  !  I  told  them  you  were  a  bad  one  to  go  up  against. 
Say,  Harrington,  do  you  remember  how  you  scalped  poor 
old  McGee  back  in  the  days  when  you  were  doing  odd 
jobs  at  Dround's  ?  Well,  I  came  over  here  to  see  what 
you  want  for  your  old  sausage  shop,  anyway." 

With  that  gibe  at  my  start  in  the  packing  business  he 
settled  back  in  his  chair  and  pulled  out  a  cigar. 

"  I  don't  know  that  we  are  anxious  to  sell,  John,"  I 
replied. 

"What?  That  talk  don't  go.  I  know  you  want  to 
get  out  mighty  bad.  What's  your  figure  ?  " 

"  You  fellows  have  given  us  a  lot  of  trouble,  first  and 
last,"  I  mused  tranquilly.  "  There  was  that  injunction 
business  over  the  London  and  Chicago  Company,  and  the 
squeeze  by  the  banks.  You  have  tried  every  dirty  little 
game  you  knew." 

Carmichael  grinned  and  smoked. 

"  I  suppose  you  want  our  outfit  to  turn  out  some 
more  rotten  canned  stuff  for  the  Government.  What  you 
sold  them  isn't  fit  for  a  Chinaman  to  eat,  John."  There 
upon  I  reached  into  a  drawer  of  my  desk  and  brought  out 
a  tin  of  .army  beef  marked  with  the  well-known  brand 
of  the  great  Strauss.  I  proceeded  to  open  it,  and  as  soon 
as  the  cover  was  removed  a  foul  odor  offended  our  nostrils. 
"Here's  a  choice  specimen  one  of  our  boys  got  for  me." 
Carmichael  smoked  on  placidly. 


290     THE   MEMOIRS   OF   AN   AMERICAN   CITIZEN 

"That  is  something  we  have  never  done,  though  we 
couldn't  make  anything  on  our  contract  at  the  figures 
you  people  set.  And  little  of  the  business  we  got,  any 
way  !  Strauss  ought  to  be  put  where  he'd  have  to  feed 
off  his  own  rations." 

So  we  sat  and  scored  one  another  comfortably  for  a 
time,  and  then  came  to  business.  The  terms  that  Slocuin 
and  I  had  figured  out  were  that  Strauss  and  his  crowd 
should  pay  us  in  round  numbers  two  hundred  dollars  per 
share  preferred  and  common  alike,  allowing  every  share 
holder  the  same  terms.  Carmichael  leaped  to  his  feet 
when  he  heard  the  figures. 

"You're  crazy  mad,  Van,"  he  swore  volubly.  Then  he 
stated  his  plan,  which  was,  in  brief,  that  we  should  make 
an  alliance  with  the  great  Strauss  and  sell  him  at 
"  reasonable  figures "  an  interest  in  our  company. 

"And  let  you  and  Strauss  freeze  out  my  friends? 
Not  for  one  minute  !  Go  back  and  tell  your  boss  to  find 
that  stock  he's  short  of." 

Carmichael  threw  us  an  amused  glance. 

"  Do  you  think  that's  worrying  us  ?  If  you  want  a 
fight,  I  guess  we  can  give  you  some  trouble." 

It  seems  that  they  had  another  club  behind  their  backs, 
and  that  was  a  suit,  which  they  were  instigating  the 
Attorney-general  to  bring  against  the  Meat  Products 
Company  for  infringing  the  Illinois  anti-trust  act.  The 
impudence  and  boldness  of  this  suggestion  angered  me. 

"  All  right,"  I  said.     "  You  have  our  figure,  John." 

He  left  us  that  day,  but  he  came  the  next  morning 
with  new  proposals  from  his  master.  They  were  anxious 


VICTORY  291 

to  have  a  peaceable  settlement.  I  had  known  for  some 
time  that  these  men  were  preparing  for  an  astonishing- 
move,  which  was  nothing  less  than  a  gigantic  combina 
tion  of  all  the  large  food-product  industries  of  the  coun 
try,  and  they  could  not  leave  us  as  a  thorn  in  their  side. 
They  must  annex  us,  cost  what  it  might. 

So  now  they  talked  of  my  ability,  of  what  I  had  done 
in  making  a  great  business  out  of  a  lot  of  remnants, 
and  they  wanted  to  buy  me  as  well  as  our  company, 
offering  me  some  strong  inducements  to  join  them.  But 
I  told  Carmichael  shortly  :  — 

"I  will  never  work  with  Strauss  in  this  life.  It's 
no  use  your  talking,  John.  There  isn't  enough  money 
coined  to  bring  me  to  him.  You  must  buy  our  stock 
outright  —  and  be  quick  about  it,  too." 

He  could  not  understand  my  feeling,  and  it  was  not 
reasonable.  But  all  these  years  of  desperate  fight  there 
had  grown  up  in  my  heart  a  hatred  of  my  enemy  beyond 
the  usual  cold  passions  of  business.  I  hated  him  as  a 
machine,  as  a  man,  —  as  a  cruel,  treacherous,  selfish,  un 
patriotic  maker  of  dollars. 

So  in  the  end  they  came  to  my  terms,  and  the  lawyers 
set  to  work  on  the  papers.  The  Strauss  interests  were 
to  take  over  the  Meat  Products  stock  at  our  figure, 
and  also  the  Empress  Line,  our  private-car  enterprise, 
and' two  or  three  smaller  matters  that  had  grown  up  in 
connection  with  the  packing  business.  When  Slocum 
and  I  went  on  to  New  York  to  finish  the  transaction, 
Sarah  and  the  girls  accompanied  us,  on  their  way  to 
Europe,  where  they  were  going  for  a  pleasure  trip. 


292     THE   MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN   CITIXKN 

Thus  in  a  few  months  my  labors  came  to  flower,  and 
suddenly  the  map  of  my  life  changed  completely.  The 
end  was  not  yet,  but  no  longer  was  I  the  needy  adven 
turer  besieging  men  of  means  to  join  me  in  my  enter 
prises,  dodging  daily  blows  in  a  hand-to-hand  scrimmage  — 


"  There  isii't  cnouyh  money  coined  to  briny  me  to  ft  int.'1' 

a  struggling  packer!  I  had  brought  Strauss  to  my  own 
terms.  And  when  the  proud  firm  of  Morris  Brothers, 
the  great  bankers,  invited  me  to  confer  with  them  in 
regard  to  our  railroad  properties  in  the  Southwest,  and 
to  take  part  in  one  of  those  deals  which  in  a  day  trims- 
form  the  industrial  map  of  the  country,  I  felt  that  I 
had  come  out  upon  the  level  plateau  of  power. 


CHAPTER   XXVII 

DOUBTS 

The  time  of  jubilation  —  At  the  bankers'1  —  The  last  word  from 
Farson  —  Sarah  and  I  go  to  see  the  parade  —  We  meet  the 
Drounds  —  A  fading  life — Sad  thoughts  —  Jane  speaks  out  — 
What  next? — Sarah  is  no  longer  jealous 

IT  was  that  autumn  of  jubilation  after  the  Spanish 
War.  The  morning  when  I  drove  through  the  city  to 
the  bankers'  office,  workmen  were  putting  up  a  great  arch 
across  the  avenue  for  the  coining  day  of  celebration. 
Our  people  had  shown  the  nations  of  the  world  the  might 
and  the  glory  in  us.  Forgotten  now  was  the  miserable 
mismanagement  of  our  brave  men,  the  shame  of  rotten 
rations,  the  fraud  of  politicians  —  all  but  the  pride  of  our 
strength!  A  new  spirit  had  come  over  our  country  during 
these  months  —  a  spirit  of  daring  and  adventure,  of  read 
iness  for  vast  enterprises.  That  business  world  of  which 
I  was  a  part  was  boiling  with  activities.  The  great 
things  that  had  been  done  in  the  past,  in  the  light  of  the 
present  seemed  but  the  deeds  of  babes.  And  every  man 
who  had  his  touch  upon  affairs  felt  the  madness  of  the 
times. 

Among  the  gentlemen  gathered  in  the  bankers'  office 
that  morning  was  my  old  friend  Farson.  I  had  not  seen 
him  since  our  unpleasant  luncheon  at  the  railroad  station. 

293 


294     THE   MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

He  greeted  me  courteously  enough,  as  if  he  had  once  been 
acquainted  with  somebody  by  my  name.  It  was  apparent 
that  he  had  come  there  to  represent  what  was  left  of  the 
old  New  England  interests  in  the  railroad  properties  ;  but 
he  did  not  count  in  that  gathering.  The  men  at  Morris 
Brothers  listened  to  me  most  of  the  time  that  morning! 

As  we  broke  up  for  luncheon  Farson  congratulated  me 
dryly  on  the  success  I  had  met  with  in  the  negotiations. 

"  I  hope,  then,  we  shall  have  your  support,"  I  remarked, 
forgetting  our  past  dispute. 

"  I  am  here  to  see  that  my  friends  are  taken  care  of," 
he  replied  grimly  ;  "  all  we  hope  is  to  get  our  money  back 
from  the  properties.  My  people  do  not  understand  you 
and  your  generation.  AVe  are  better  apart." 

"  I  am  sorry  you  think  so,"  1  said,  understanding  well 
enough  what  he  meant. 

"  I  am  sorry,  too :  sorry  for  you  and  for  our  country  in 
the  years  to  come.  For  she  it  is  who  suffers  most  by 
such  ideals  as  you  stand  for." 

"  1  think  that  you  are  mistaken  there,"  I  answered 
peaceably.  "We  are  the  ones  who  are  making  this 
country  great.  If  it  weren't  for  men  like  me,  you  good 
people  wouldn't  be  doing  any  business  to  speak  of. 
There  wouldn't  be  much  to  be  done !  " 

"  Our  fathers  found  enough  to  do,"  he  retorted  dryly, 
"  and  they  did  not  buy  judges  nor  maintain  lobbies  in  the 
legislature." 

"  There  wasn't  any  money  in  it  those  days  !  "  I  laughed. 

Talking  thus  we  reached  the  place  where  I  was  to  lunch 
with  some  others,  and  I  asked  him  to  join  the  party. 


DOUBTS  295 

The  uncompromising  old  duck  refused;  he  wouldn't  even 
break  bread  with  me  at  a  hotel  table. 

"  I  am  sorry  you  won't  eat  with  me,  Mr.  Farson.  I 
don't  hope  to  convert  you  to  my  way  of  thinking  and 
feeling.  But  you  were  good  to  me  and  saved  my  life 
when  I  was  in  a  tight  place,  and  I  am  glad  to  think  that 
no  loss  ever  came  to  you  or  your  friends  through  me. 
I  have  made  money  for  you  all.  And  I  wish  you  would 
stay  with  me  and  let  me  make  a  lot  more  for  you  in  this 
new  deal  we  are  putting  through." 

"  Thank  you,"  he  said  with  a  dry  little  smile,  "  but  I  and 
my  friends  will  be  content  with  getting  back  the  money 
we  have  spent.  Mr.  Harrington,  there  is  one  thing  that 
you  Western  gentlemen  —  no!  it  is  unfair  to  cast  that 
slur  on  one  section  of  the  country,  and  I  have  met 
honorable  gentlemen  West  as  well  as  East  —  but  there 
is  one  thing  that  you  gentlemen  of  finance  to-day  fail 
to  understand  —  there  is  always  a  greater  rascal  than 
any  one  of  you  somewhere,  and  it  is  usually  only  a  ques 
tion  of  time  when  you  will  meet  him.  When  that  time 
comes,  he  will  pick  the  flesh  from  your  bones,  and  no  one 
will  care  very  much  what  happens  to  you  then!  And  one 
thing  more  :  to  one  who  has  lived  life,  and  knows  what 
it  is,  there  is  mighty  little  happiness  in  a  million  dollars! 
Good  morning,  sir." 

He  was  a  lovable  old  fool,  though  !  All  through  lunch 
eon  and  the  business  talk  that  followed  in  the  afternoon 
the  old  gentleman's  remarks  kept  coming  back  to  me  in 
a  queer,  persistent  way.  Feeling  my  oats  as  I  did,  in 
the  full  flood  of  my  success,  there  was  yet  something 


296     THE   MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

unsatisfied  about  my  heart.     My  brain  was  busy  with  the 
plans  of  the  Morris  Brothers,  but  nothing  more. 

After  the  work  of  the  day  was  over,  Sarah  and  I  drove 
up  to  the  Park  to  see  the  parade  of  fine  horses  and 
carriages  and  smart-looking  folks  who  were  out  taking 
their  airing.  It  was  a  beautiful,  warm  October  day,  and 
Sarah  took  considerable  interest  in  the  show.  The  faces 
of  those  in  the  carriages  were  not  much  to  look  at,  take 
them  by  and  large.  They  were  the  faces  of  men  and 
women  who  ate  and  drank  and  enjoyed  themselves  too 
much.  They  were  the  faces  of  the  people  who  lived  in 
the  rich  hotels,  who  made  and  spent  the  money  of  our 
country.  And  as  I  looked  at  them,  Farson's  last  words 
came  back  to  my  thoughts :  — 

"  There's  mighty  little  happiness  in  a  million  dollars." 

"Van,"  Sarah  said  after  a  time,  "let  us  drive  over  the 
avenue.  I  want  to  look  at  that  house  the  Rainbows  spoke 
to  us  about." 

So  we  turned  out  of  the  Park  toward  the  house  on  the 
avenue  which  we  thought  of  buying;  for  we  had  been 
talking  somewhat  of  moving  to  New  York  to  live  after 
this  year. 

As  we  got  out  of  our  carriage  in  front  of  the  lofty 
gray  stone  house,  a  man  and  a  woman  came  toward  us  on 
the  walk.  The  man  seemed  old  and  moved  heavily,  and 
the  woman's  face  was  bent  to  one  side  to  him.  Sarah 
glanced  at  them  and  stood  still. 

"Van,"  she  whispered,  "there  are  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Drouiid ! " 


DOUBTS  297 

She  hesitated  a  moment,  and  then,  as  the  two  came 
nearer,  she  stepped  forward  to  meet  them,  and  Jane 
looked  up  at  us.  The  two  women  glanced  at  each 
other,  then  spoke.  Mrs.  Dround  said  something  to  her 
husband,  and  he  gave  me  a  slow  look  of  returning 
recognition,  as  if  my  face  recalled  vague  memories. 

"Mr.  Harrington?"  he  said  questionmgly,  taking  my 
hand  in  a  hesitating  way,  as  though  he  were  not  quite 
sure  about  me  yet.  "  Oh,  yes !  I  am  glad  to  see  you 
again.  How  is  Mr.  Carmichael  ?  Well,  I  hope,  and 
prospering  ?  " 

The  man's  mind  was  a  blank  ! 

"Yes,  Mrs.  Dround  and  I  have  been  abroad  this 
winter,"  he  continued,  "but  we  have  come  back  to  live 
here.  America  is  the  proper  place  for  Americans,  I  have 
always  believed.  I  have  no  patience  with  those  people 
who  expatriate  themselves.  Yes,  Mrs.  Dround  wanted 
me  to  take  a  place  in  Kent,  but  I  would  not  listen  to  it. 
I  know  where  my  duty  lies,"  —  he  straightened  himself 
with  slow  pompousness, — "How  are  the  children?  All 
well,  I  hope  ?  " 

Jane  was  talking  with  Sarah,  and  the  four  of  us  after 
a  while  entered  the  house,  which  was  just  being  finished 
by  the  contractor.  In  the  hall  Mr.  Dround  turned  to 
Sarah  and  made  some  remark  about  the  house,  and  the 
agent,  who  happened  to  be  there,  led  them  upstairs. 
Jane  and  I  followed. 

"  So  you  have  come  home  to  live  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  Yes  !  "  She  sank  down  on  a  workman's  bench,  with 
a  sigh  of  weariness.  As  I  looked  at  her  more  closely, 


298     THE   MEMOIRS   OF    AN   AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

it  seemed  to  me  that  at  last  age  had  touched  her. 
There  were  white  strands  in  her  black  hair,  and  there 
were  deep  circles  beneath  the  dark  eyes  —  eyes  that 
were  dull  from  looking  without  seeing  anything  in 
particular. 

"  It  was  best  for  Henry,"  she  added  quietly.  "  He  is 
restless  over  there.  You  see,  he  forgets  everything  so 
quickly  now.  It  has  been  so  for  nearly  a  year." 

There  was  the  story  of  her  days  —  the  watcher  and 
keeper  of  this  childish  man,  whose  mind  was  fading 
away  before  its  time.  With  a  sense  of  the  cruelty  in  it, 
I  turned  away  from  her  hastily  and  looked  out  of  the 
window. 

"I  do  not  mind,  most  times,"  she  said  gently,  as  in 
answer  to  my  action.  ".It  is  easier  to  bear  than  some 
things  of  life." 

"  Shame  !  "  I  muttered. 

"  But  there  are  days,"  she  burst  out  more  like  her  old 
self,  "  when  I  simply  cannot  stand  it !  But  let  us  not 
waste  these  precious  minutes  with  my  troubles.  Let  us 
talk  of  yon.  You  are  still  young  in  spite  of  — 

"  The  gray  hair  and  the  two  hundred  and  forty 
pounds  ?  1  don't  feel  so  young  as  I  might,  Jane  !  " 

She  colored  at  the  sound  of  her  name. 

"But  you  have  got  much  for  your  gray  hairs  —  you 
have  lived  more  than  most  men  ! " 

"Tell  me,"  I  demanded  suddenly,  —  "I  know  it  was 
your  hand  that  pulled  me  from  the  last  hole.  It  w;is 
your  money  that  Carboner  risked?  1  knew  it.  Old 
Carboncr  wouldn't  tell,  but  I  knew  it ! " 


DOUBTS  299 

"  And  you  were  on  the  point  of  refusing  my  help,"  she 
added  with  an  accusing  smile.  "  I  should  have  scorned 
you,  if  you  had  gone  away  without  it !  " 

"  Oh,  I  didn't  hesitate  long !  And  I  am  glad  now  it 
was  yours,  in  more  ways  than  one,"  I  added  quickly. 
"It  was  a  profitable  deal,  —  Carboner  wrote  you  the 
terms  ?  " 

"  Yes,  but  it  would  have  made  no  difference  if  it  had 
come  out  badly  —  you  can't  know  what  it  meant  to  me 
to  do  that !  To  work  with  you  with  all  my  strength  !  It 
was  the  first  real  joy  I  ever  got  from  my  money,  and 
perhaps  the  last,  too.  For  you  are  beyond  my  help 
now." 

"How  did  Carboner  get  hold  of  your  husband's 
stock  ?  "  I  persisted  curiously. 

"That  is  my  secret!  "  she  smiled  back  with  a  look  of 
her  old  self.  "  Why  should  you  want  .to  know  ?  That 
is  so  like  a  man !  Always  wanting  to  know  why. 
Believe  in  the  fairies  for  once !  " 

"  It  was  a  mighty  clever  fairy  this  time.  She  had  lots 
of  power.  Do  you  see  that,  after  all,  in  spite  of  all 
the  talk  about  genius  and  destiny  and  being  self-made 
and  all  that,  I  did  not  win  the  game  by  myself  ?  I 
would  have  been  broke  now,  a  discredited  gambler,  if  it 
hadn't  been  for  your  helping  hand.  It  was  you !  And 
I  guess,  Jane,  we  all  have  to  have  some  help." 

t{  You  don't  begrudge  me  the  little  help  I  gave  you  — 
the  small  share  I  had  in  your  fortune  ?  " 

"No,  I  don't  mind.     I  am  glad  of  it." 

That  was  sincere  enough.     I   had  come   to   see  that 


300     THE    MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

no  man  can  stand  alone,  and  I  was  not  ashamed  to  have 
taken  my  help  from  the  hand  of  a  woman. 

"  But  suppose  I  had  gambled  with  your  money  and 
lost  it  ?  I  might  have  easily  enough." 

"  Do  you  think  I  should  have  cared  ?  " 

"  No,  Jane,  I  guess  not.     But  I  should  have !  " 

"  It's  been  the  joy  of  these  terrible  years,  knowing  that 

you  were  here  in  the  world  accomplishing  what  you  were 

born  to  do!     And  that  I  had  a  little  —  oh,  such  a  little  ! 

—  share  in  helping  you  do  it.     Poor  I,  who  have  never 

done  anything  worth  while  !  " 

"  It  seems  queer  that  a  woman  should  set  so  much 
store  on  what  a  man  does." 

"  It's  beyond  a  man's  power  to  know  that !  But  try  to 
think  what  you  would  be  if  you  were  a  helpless  cripple, 
tied  to  your  chair.  Don't  you  suppose  that  when  some 
strong,  handsome  athlete  came  your  way  with  all  his 
health,  you  would  admire  him,  get  interested  in  him, 
and  like  to  watch  those  muscles  at  work,  just  the  muscles 
you  couldn't  use?  I  think  so.  And  if  a  good  fate  put 
it  in  your  power  to  help  him  —  you,  the  poor  cripple  in 
your  chair  —  help  him  to  win  his  race',  wouldn't  you  be 
thankful  ?  I  can  tell  you  that  one  cripple  blesses  you 
because  you  are  you  —  a  man  ! " 

The  excitement  of  her  feelings  brought  back  the  dark 
glow  to  her  face,  and  made  her  beautiful  once  more. 
Ideas  seemed  to  burn  away  the  faded  look  and  gave  her 
the  power  that  passion  gives  ordinary  women. 

"  You  and  I  think  alike,  I  love  to  believe.  Start  us 
from  the  two  Poles,  and  we  would  meet  midway.  We 


DOUBTS  301 

are  not  little  people,  thank  God,  you  and  I.  We  did  not 
make  a  mess  of  our  lives !  My  friend,  it  is  good  to  know 
that,"  she  ended  softly. 

"Yes,"  I  admitted,  understanding  what  she  meant. 
"  We  parted." 

"  We  parted !  We  lived  a  thousand  miles  from  one 
another.  What  matters  it  ?  I  said  to  myself  each  day  : 
'Out  there,  in  the  world,  lives  a  man  who  thinks  and 
acts  and  feels  as  I  would  have  a  man  think  and  act 
and  feel.  He  is  not  far  away.' " 

She  laid  a  hand  lightly  on  my  arm  and  smiled.  And 
we  were  silent  until  the  voices  of  the  others  in  the  hall 
above  reminded  us  of  the  present.  Jane  rose,  and  her 
face  had  faded  once  more  into  its  usual  calm. 

"  You  are  thinking  of  moving  to  New  York  ?  What 
for  ?  " 

I  spoke  of  my  new  work  —  the  checker-board  that  had 
been  under  discussion  all  day  at  the  bankers'. 

"You  are  rich  enough,"  she  remarked.  "That  means 
so  many  millions  more  to  your  account." 

"  No,  not  just  that,"  I  protested.  "  It's  the  solution  to 
the  little  puzzle  you  and  I  were  working  at  over  the  atlas 
hi  your  library  that  day  years  ago.  It  is  like  a  problem  in 
human  physics :  there  were  obstacles  in  the  way,  but  the 
result  was  sure  from  the  start." 

"  But  you  are  near  the  end  of  it  —  and  then  what  ?  " 

"  I  suppose  there  will  be  others !  "  After  a  time  I 
added,  half  to  myself :  "  But  there's  no  happiness  in  it. 
There  is  no  happiness." 

"  Do  you  look  for  happiness  ?     That  is  for  children  !  " 


302     THE    MKMOIKS    <>F    AN     AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

_J<  Then  what  is  the  end  of  it  ?  " 

For  of  a  sudden  the  spring  of  my  energies  was 
slackened  within  me,  and  the  work  that  I  was  doing 
seemed  senseless.  Somehow  a  man's  happiness  had 
slipped  past  me  on  the  road,  and  now  I  missed  it.  There 
was  the  joy  we  might  have  had,  she  and  I,  and  we  had 
not  taken  it.  Had  we  been  fools  to  put  it  aside  ?  She 
juiswered  my  thoughts. 

u  We  did  not  want  it !  Kemember  we  did  not  want 
that !  Don't  let  me  think  that,  after  all,  you  regret !  I 
could  not  stand  that  —  no  woman  could  bear  it." 

Her  voice  was  like  a  cry  to  my  soul.  On  the  stairs 
above  Mr.  Dround  was  saying  to  Sarah  :  — 

"  No,  I  much  prefer  our  Chicago  style  of  building,  with 
large  lots,  where  you  can  get  sunshine  on  all  four  sides. 
It  is  more  healthy,  don't  you  think,  Mrs.  Harrington  ?  " 

And  Sarah  answered  :  — 

"Yes,  I  quite  agree  with  you,  Mr.  Dround.  T  don't 
like  this  house  at  all  —  it's  too  dark.  We  shall  have 
to  look  farther,  I  guess." 

Jane  turned  her  face  to  mine.  Her  eyes  were  filled 
with  tears,  and  her  mouth  trembled.  "Don't  regret  — 
anything/'  she  whispered.  "We  have  had  so  much  .'  " 

"  Van,"  Sarah  called  from  the  stairs,  "  you  haven't 
seen  the  house!  But  it  isn't  worth  while.  I  am  sure 
we  shouldn't  like  it." 

"  You  mustn't  look  for  your  Chicago  garden  on  Fifth 
Avenue,"  Mrs.  Dround  laughed. 

As  we  left  the  house,  Sarah  turned  to  Jane  and  asked 
her  to  come  back  with  us  to  the  hotel  for  dinner.  But 


DOUBTS  303 

the  Drounds  had  an  engagement  for  the  evening,  and  so 
an  appointment  was  made  for  the  day  following  to  dine 
together.  When  we  had  said  good-by  and  were  in  the 
carriage,  Sarah  remarked  reflectively  :  — 

"  Jane  looks  like  an  old  woman  —  don't  you  think  so, 
Van?" 


CHAPTER   XXVIII 

A    NEW    AMBITIOX 

Jane  Dround  points  the  way  again  —  Tfie  shoes  of  Parkinson  and 
the  senatorial  toga  —  Strauss  is  dead  —  Business  or  politics  ? 
—  A  dream  of  wealth  —  The  family  sail  for  Europe 

"I  AM  writing  Sarah  that  after  all  we  cannot  dine 
with  you.  My  husband  is  restless  and  feels  that  we 
must  leave  for  the  West  to-night.  It  was  very  sweet  of 
Sarah  to  want  us,  but  after  all  perhaps  it  is  just  as  well. 
\Ye  shall  see  you  both  soon,  I  am  sure.  .  .  . 

"But  there  is  something  I  want  to  say  to  you —  some 
thing  that  has  been  on  my  mind  all  the  long  hours  since 
our  meeting.  Those  brief  moments  yesterday  I  felt  that 
all  was  not  well  with  you,  my  friend.  Your  eyes  had  a 
i  restless  demand  that  I  never  saw  in  them  before.  I  sus- 
•  pect  that  you  are  beginning  to  know  that  Success  is  nothing 
but  a  mirage,  fading  before  our  eyes  from  stage  to  stage. 
You  have  accomplished  all  and  more  than  you  planned 
that  afternoon  when  we  hung  over  the  atlas  together. 
You  are  rich  now,  very  rich.  You  are  a  Power  in  the 
world,  —  yes,  you  are,  —  not  yet  a  very  great  planet, 
but  one  that  is  rapidly  swinging  higher  into  the  zenith. 
You  must  be  reckoned  with !  My  good  Jules  keeps  me 
informed,  you  see.  If  you  keep  your  hold  in  these 
new  enterprises,  you  will  double  your  fortune  many 

304 


A    NEW    AMBITION  305 

times,  and  before  long  you  will  be  one  of  the  masters 
—  one  of  the  little  group  who  really  control  our  times, 
our  country.  Yet  —  I  wonder  — yes,  my  doubt  has 
grown  so  large  since  I  saw  you  that  it  moves  me  to 
write  all  this.  .  .  .  Will  that  be  enough  ?  Mere  wealth, 
mere  power  of  that  kind,  will  it  satisfy  ?  .  .  .  It  is  hard 
enough  to  tell  what  ivill  satisfy;  but  there  are  other 
things  — other  worlds  than  your  world  of  money  power. 
But  I  take  your  time  with  my  woman's  nonsense  - 
forgive  me  ! 

"  I  hear  from  a  good  authority  in  Washington  that  our 
old  Senator  Parkinson  is  really  on  his  last  legs.  That  ill 
ness  of  his  this  spring,  which  they  tried  to  keep  quiet, 
was  really  a  stroke,  and  it  will  be  a  miracle  if  he  lasts 
another  winter.  Did  you  know  him  ?  He  was  a  queer 
old  farmer  sort  of  politician.  His  successor,  I  fancy, 
will  be  some  one  quite  different.  That  type  of  states 
man  has  had  its  day !  There  is  a  career,  now,  if  a  man 
wanted  it !  .  .  .  Why  not  think  of  it  ? 

"  Good-by,  my  friend.  1  had  almost  forgotten,  as  I  for 
got  yesterday,  to  thank  you  for  making  me  so  rich  !  Mr. 
Carboner  cabled  me  the  terms  of  your  settlement  with 

Strauss.     They  were  wicked ! 

"  JANE  DROUXD. 

"It  would  not  be  the  most  difficult  thing  in  the  world 
to  capture  Parkinson's  seat  —  if  one  were  willing  to  pay 
the  price!" 

The  idea  of  slipping  into  old  Parkinson's  shoes  made 
me  laugh.  It  was  a  bit  of  feminine  extravagance. 


300     THE   MEMOIRS    OF    AN     AM  KIM  TAN    CITIZKX 

Nevertheless  this  letter  gave  me  food  for  thought.  Jane 
was  right  enough  in  saying  that  my  wonderful  success 
had  not  brought  me  all  the  satisfaction  that  it  should. 
Now  that  the  problems  I  had  labored  over  were  working 
themselves  out  to  the  plain  solution  of  dollars  and  cents, 
the  zest  of  the  matter  was  oozing  away.  To  be  sure, 
there  was  prospect  of  some  excitement  to  be  had  in  the 
railroad  enterprises  of  the  Morris  Brothers,  although  it 
was  merest  flattery  to  say  that  my  position  counted  for 
much  as  yet  in  that  mighty  game.  Did  I  want  to  make 
it  count  ? 

v .'J(  I  sipped  my  morning  coffee  and  listened  to  Sarah's 
talk.  Beyond  business,  what  was  there  for  me  ?  There 
was  our  place  down  in  Vermilion  County,  Illinois.  But 
stock-farming  was  an  old  man's  recreation.  I  might  be 
come  a  collector  like  Mr.  Dround,  roaming  about  Europe, 
buying  old  stuff  to  put  in  a  house  or  give  to  a  museum. 
But  I  was  too  ignorant  for  that  kind  of  play.  And  philan 
thropy  ?  Well,  in  time,  perhaps  when  I  knew  what  was 
best  to  give  folks,  which  isn't  as  simple  as  it  might  seem. 

"  I  am  sorry  the  Drounds  couldn't  come,"  Sarah  was 
saying,  glancing  at  Jane's  note  to  her.  "I  liked  Jain- 
better  yesterday  than  ever  before  —  she  looked  so  worn 
and  kind  of  miserable.  I  don't  believe  she  can  be 
happy,  Van." 

"  Well,  she  didn't  say  so  ! "  I  replied.  .  .  . 

Yes,  I  knew  Senator  Parkinson  —  a  sly,  tricky  poli 
tician,  for  all  his  simple  farmer  ways.     He  was  not  what 
is  called  a  railroad  Senator,  but  the  railroads  never  had 
L_much  trouble  with  him.  .  .  . 


A    NEW    AMBITION  307 

Before  we  had  finished  our  breakfast  Carmichael  sent 
up  word  that  he  must  see  me,  and  I  hurried  down  to  the 
lobby  of  the  hotel.  He  met  me  at  the  elevator  arid  drew 
me  aside,  saying  abruptly  :  — 

"  The  old  man  is  dead !  Just  got  a  wire  from  Chicago 
—  apoplexy.  I  must  get  back  there  at  once." 

Strauss  dead !  The  news  did  not  come  home  to  me  all 
at  once.  His  was  not  just  like  any  other  death.  From 
the  day  when  the  old  packer  had  first  come  within  my 
sight  he  had  loomed  big  and  savage  on  my  horizon,  and 
around  him,  somehow,  my  life  had  revolved  for  years. 
I  hated  him.  I  hated  his  tricky,  wolfish  ways,  his  hog- 
it-all  policy ;  I  despised  his  mean,  unpatriotic  character. 
Yet  his  going  was  like  the  breaking  of  some  great  wheel 
at  the  centre  of  industry. 

I  had  hated  him,  and  for  that  reason  I  had  refused  all 
offers  to  settle  on  anything  but  a  cash  basis  for  my 
interests  in  the  companies  he  was  buying  from  us.  Car 
michael  and  some  others  had  urged  me  again  and  again 
to  go  in  with  them  and  help  them  build  the  great  merger, 
but  I  had  steadily  refused  to  work  with  Strauss.  "  I 
cannot  make  a  good  servant,"  I  had  said  to  John,  "and  I 
don't  want  a  knife  in  my  side.  The  country  is  big  enough 
for  Strauss  and  me.  I'll  give  him  his  side  of  the  pasture." 

But  now  he  was  dead,  and  already,  somehow,  my  hate 
was  fading  from  my  heart.  The  great  Strauss  was  but 
another  man  like  myself,  who  had  done  his  work  in  his 
own  way.  Carmichael,  who  was  a  good  deal  worked  up, 
exclaimed  :  — 

"  This  won't  make  any  hitch  in  our  negotiations,  Har- 


308     THE   MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

rington.  Everything  will  go  right  on  just  as  before. 
The  old  man's  plans  were  laid  pretty  deep,  and  this  deal 
with  you  is  one  of  the  first  of  them.  His  brother  Joe 
will  take  his  place,  maybe,  and  if  he  can't  fill  the  shoes, 
why,  young  Jenks,  who  seems  to  be  a  smart  young  man, 
or  I  will  take  the  reins." 

(Old  Strauss  had  been  married  three  times,  but  his 
children  had  all  died.  There  was  no  one  of  his  own 
to  take  the  ball  of  money  he  had  made  and  roll  it  larger ; 
no  one  of  his  own  blood  to  grasp  the  reins  of  his  power 
and  drive  on  in  the  old  man's  way ! ) 

"  Say,  Van,"  the  Irishman  continued,  <•  why  don't  you 
think  it  over  once  more,  and  see  your  way  to  join  us  ? 
You  didn't  care  for  the  old  man.  But  you  and  I  and 
Jenks  could  swing  things  all  right.  And  we  could  keep 
Joe  Strauss  in  his  place  between  us.  God,  kid,  the  four 
of  us  could  make  a  clean  job  of  this  thing  —  there's 
no  limit  to  what  we  could  do  !  "  As  he  uttered  this  last, 
he  grasped  me  by  the  arms  and  shook  me. 

I  knew  what  he  meant  —  that  with  the  return  of 
prosperity,  with  vast  capital  ready  for  investment,  with 
the  control  of  the  packing  and  food-products  transpor 
tation  business  —  which  we  packers  had  been  organizing 
into  a  compact  machine  —  there  was  no  limit  to  the  reach 
of  our  power  in  this  land,  in  the  world.  (And  I  was  of 
his  way  of  thinking,  then,  not  believing  that  a  power 
existed  which  could  check  our  operations.  And  I  do  not 
believe  it  now,  I  may  add  ;  nor  do  I  know  a  man  con 
versant  with  the  modern  situation  of  capital  who  be 
lieves  that  with  our  present  system  of  government  any 


A   NEW    AMBITIOX  309 

effective  check  upon  the  operations  of  capital  can  be 
devised.) 

"  Think  it  over,"  Carmichael  urged,  "  and  let  me  know 
when  I  return  from  Chicago  the  first  of  the  week.  You 
don't  want  to  make  the  mistake  of  your  life  by  dropping 
out  just  now." 

But  while  he  was  talking  to  me,  urging  on  me  the 
greatness  of  the  future,  my  thoughts  went  back  to  that 
letter  of  Jane  Dround's.  She  had  seen  swiftly  a  truth 
that  was  coming  to  me  slowly.  There  might  be  twenty, 
forty,  sixty  millions  in  the  packers'  deal,  but  the  joy  of 
the  game  had  gone  for  me.  All  of  those  millions  would 
not  give  me  the  joy  I  had  when  I  sold  that  sausage  plant 
to  Strauss  !  I  shook  my  head. 

"No,  I  don't  want  it,  John.  But  Strauss's  death 
makes  a  big  difference,  I  am  willing  to  offer  some  kind 
of  trade  with  you,  —  to  let  you  have  my  stock  on  better 
terms,  if  your  people  will  do  what  I  want." 

Carmichael  waited  for  my  proposal.     I  said  :  — 

"  Old  Parkinson  is  pretty  near  his  end,  I  hear.  It's 
likely  there  will  be  a  vacant  seat  in  the  Senate  sometime 


The  Irishman's  eyes  opened  wide  in  astonishment. 

"Strauss  used  to  keep  in  touch  with  Springfield,"  I 
suggested.  "  He  and  Vitzer  "  (who  was  the  great  trac 
tion  wolf  in  Chicago)  "  used  to  work  pretty  close  together 
sometimes  —  " 

"  You  want  to  go  to  the  Senate,  Van  ?  " 

Carmichael  burst  into  a  laugh  that  attracted  the  atten 
tion  of  the  men  sitting  around  us. 


310     THE   MEMOIRS   OF    AN   AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

"It  might  work  out  that  way,"  I  admitted. 

"And  how  about  that  judge  business?"  he  inquired, 
still  laughing.  "  The  papers  would  make  it  some  hot 
for  you." 

"  No  doubt.  I  don't  expect  I  should  be  exactly  a 
popular  candidate,  John.  Hut  I  calculate  I'd  make  as 
good  a  Senator  as  Jim  Parkinson,  and  a  deal  more  useful 
one." 

Carmichael  stopped  laughing  and  began  to  think,  see 
ing  that  their  might  be  a  business  end  to  this  proposition. 
The  time  was  coming  when  he  and  his  associates  would 
need  the  services  of  an  intelligent  friend  at  Washington. 
He  reckoned  up  his  political  hirelings  in  the  state. 

"It  might  be  managed,"  he  said  after  a  while,  "only 
our  crowd  would  want  to  be  sure  we  could  count  on  you 
if  we  helped  put  you  there.  There's  a  lot  of  bum,  cranky 
notions  loose  in  Congress,  and  it's  up  to  the  Senate  to 
see  that  the  real  interests  of  the  country  are  protected." 

"  I  ought  to  know  by  this  time  what  the  real  interests 
are,"  I  assured  him,  and  when  he  rose  to  leave  for  his 
train  I  added  pointedly :  "  In  case  we  make  this  arrange 
ment  there's  more  stock  than  mine  which  you  could  count 
on  for  your  deal.  We'd  all  stay  in  with  you." 

For  there  was  the  stock  Carboner  had  locked  up  in  his 
safe,  and  Slocum's,  and  considerable  more  that  would  do 
as  I  said.  If  Carmichael  and  young  Jenks  put  through 
their  merger  and  swallowed  the  packing  business  whole, 
I  knew  that  our  money  would  be  in  good  hands. 

"  Well,  when  Parkinson  gets  out  we'll  see  what  we  can 
do,"  Carmichael  concluded. 


A   NEW    AMBITION  311 

And  thus  the  deal  for  Parkinson's  seat  was  made  right 
there.  All  that  remained  was  for  the  old  man  to  have 
his  second  stroke. 

"You  in  the  Senate  —  that's  a  good  one!"  John 
chuckled.  "I  suppose  next  you  will  be  wanting  to  be 
made  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  or  President,  maybe ! " 

"  I  know  my  limit,  John." 

"  D d  if  I  do !  The  old  man  would  have  enjoyed 

this.  But,  Van,  take  my  advice  and  stay  out.  There 
ain't  much  in  that  political  business.  Stay  with  us  and 
make  some  money.  Right  now  is  coming  the  biggest 
time  this  country  has  ever  seen.  And  we  are  the  crowd 
that's  got  the  combination  to  the  safe.  These  New  York 
financiers  think  they  are  pretty  near  the  whole  thing, 
but  I  reckon  we  are  going  to  give  even  them  a  surprise." 

With  this  final  boast,  he  got  into  his  cab  and  drove 
off. 

The  day  was  brilliantly  sunny,  and  the  street  was 
alive  with  gay  people.  What  the  Irishman  said  was 
true  —  I  felt  it  in  the  sunny  air :  the  greatest  period  of 
prosperity  this  country  had  ever  seen  was  just  starting. 
It  was  the  time  when  two  or  three  good  gamblers  could 
pick  up  any  kind  of  property,  give  it  a  fine  name,  print 
a  lot  of  pretty  stock  certificates,  and  sell  their  gold  brick 
to  the  first  comer.  The  people  were  crazy  to  spend  their 
money.  It  was  a  great  time !  Nevertheless,  at  the  bot 
tom  of  all  this  craze  was  a  sure  feeling  that  all  was  well 
with  us  —  that  ours  was  a  mighty  people.  And  that  was 
about  right. 

Well,  I  loved  my  country  in  my  own  way ;  and  I  had 


"And  we  are  the  croicd  that's  got  the  combination  to  the  safe.'1 


312 


A    NEW    AMBITION  313 

all  the  money  I  knew  what  to  do  with.  Why  not  take  a 
seat  in  "  the  millionnaires'  club,"  as  the  newspapers  called 
that  honorable  body,  the  United  States  Senate  ? 

Before  I  left  for  the  West  the  family  sailed  for  Europe. 
Little  May  and  sister  Sarah,  as  we  called  the  girls,  had 
persuaded  their  mother  to  take  them  over  to  Paris  for  a 
lark.  May,  who  was  thirteen,  was  running  the  party. 
She  was  a  tall,  lively  girl,  with  black  hair  and  eyes,  and 
was  thought  to  resemble  me.  The  other  was  quieter  in 
her  ways,  more  like  Sarah.  Wre  had  lost  one  little  boy 
the  summer  before,  Avhich  was  a  great  sorrow  to  us  all. 
The  older  boy,  who  was  at  school  preparing  for  college, 
took  after  his  mother,  too.  He  was  a  pleasant-mannered 
chap,  with  a  liking  for  good  clothes  and  other  playthings. 
I  did  not  reckon  that  he  ever  would  be  much  of  a  busi 
ness  man. 

The  morning  that  the  steamer  sailed  Sarah  was  ner 
vous  over  starting,  but  May  settled  her  in  a  corner  of  the 
deck  and  got  her  a  wrap.  Then  the  girls  went  to  say 
good-by  to  some  friends. 

"Van,"  Sarah  said  to  me  when  we  were  alone.  She 
hesitated  a  moment,  then  went  on  timidly,  "  If  anything 
should  happen  to  us,  Van,  there's  one  thing  — 

"  Nothing  is  going  to  happen  !  Not  unless  you  lose 
your  letter  of  credit,  or  the  girls  run  off  with  you,"  I 
joked. 

"There's  one  thing  I  want  to  speak  about  seriously, 
Van.  It's  May  and  Will !  "  She  paused  timidly. 

«  Well  ?  " 


314     THE    MEMOIRS    OF    AX    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

"Can't  you  do  something  to  make  them  feel  differ 
ently  ?  " 

"  I  guess  not.     I've  tried  my  best !  " 

"  I  know  they  are  poor,  and  Will's  in  bad  health,  too, 
—  quite  sick." 

"  How  did  you  know  that  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  saw  May  once  before  I  left.  They  are  in  Chi 
cago  again." 

After  a  time  I  said :  — 

"  You  know  I  would  give  half  of  my  money  not  to 
have  it  so,  but  it's  no  use  talking.  They  wouldn't  take  a 
cent  from  me." 

Sarah  sighed.  "But  couldn't  you  get  Will  a  place 
somewhere  without  his  knowing  about  how  it  came?" 

"  I'll  try  my  best,"  I  said  sadly. 

Then  it  was  time  to  leave  the  steamer ;  the  girls  came 
and  kissed  me  good-by,  hanging  about  my  neck  and  mak 
ing  me  promise  to  write  and  to  come  over  for  them  later. 
Sarah  raised  her  veil  as  I  leaned  down  to  kiss  her. 

"Good-by,  Van,"  she  said  without  much  spirit.  "Be 
careful  of  yourself  and  come  over  if  you  can  get  away." 

Of  late  years,  especially  since  the  boy's  death,  Sarah 
seemed  to  have  lost  her  interest  in  things  pretty  much. 
The  trip  might  do  her  good. 


CHAPTER   XXIX 

THE    SENATORSHIP 

The  people's  choice  —  What  the  legislature  of  a  great  state  repre 
sents —  The  Strauss  lobby  —  Public  opinion,  pro  and  con  —  An 
unflattering  description  of  myself —  Carboner's  confidences  — 
On  the  bill-boards —  Popular  oratory —  I  discover  my  brother  in 
strange  company  —  /  do  some  talking  on  my  own  account  —  An 
organ  of  kick  and  criticism —  Turned  crank 

JANE  DBOUXD  was  right  about  old  Senator  Parkinson. 
He  came  home  to  die  early  in  the  fall,  and  faded  away  in 
a  couple  of  months  afterward.  The  political  pot  at  the 
capital  of  the  state  then  began  to  hum  in  a  lively  fashion. 
It  was  suspected  that  the  Governor  himself  wanted  to 
succeed  the  late  Senator,  and  there  were  one  or  two  Con 
gressmen  and  a  judge  whose  friends  thought  they  were 
of  senatorial  size.  That  was  the  talk  on  the  surface 
and  in  the  papers.  But  the  situation  was  very  different 
underneath. 

The  legislature  might  be  said,  in  a  general  way,  to 
represent  the  people  of  the  state  of  Illinois,  but  it  repre 
sented  also  the  railroad  interests,  the  traction  and  gas 
interests,  and  the  packers,  and  when  it  came  to  a  mat 
ter  of  importance  it  pretty  generally  did  what  it  was 
told  by  its  real  bosses.  This  time  it  was  told  to  put  me 
in  the  Senate  in  place  of  the  late  Senator,  and  it  obeyed 

315 


316     THE   MEMOIRS   OF    AN   AMERICAN   CITIZEN 

orders  after  a  time.  Carmichael  was  honest  with  me, 
and  stuck  to  his  agreement  to  use  the  Strauss  lobby  in 
the  legislature  in  my  behalf. 

Of  course  the  papers  in  Chicago  howled,  all  those  that 
hadn't  their  mouths  stopped  with  the  right  cake.  The 
three  largest  papers  couldn't  be  reached  by  our  friends 
in  any  way,  but  their  scoring  did  little  harm.  They  had 
up  again  the  story  of  Judge  Garretson  and  the  bonds  of 
the  London  and  Chicago  concern.  But  the  story  was  get 
ting  a  little  hazy  in  men's  memories,  and  that  kind  of 
talk  is  passed  around  so  often  when  a  man  runs  for  office 
in  our  country  that  it  hasn't  much  significance.  We  did 
not  even  think  it  worth  while  to  answer  it.  Besides,  to 
tell  the  truth,  we  had  nothing  much  to  say.  Our  policy 
was,  of  necessity,  what  Slocum  sarcastically  described  as 
"  dignified  silence."  When  my  name  began  to  be  heard 
at  Springfield  more  and  more  insistently,  the  Chicago 
Thunderer  came  out  with  a  terrific  roast  editorially: 

"  Who  is  this  fellow,  E.  V.  Harrington,  who  has  the 
presumption  to  look  lustfully  on  the  chair  of  our  late 
honorable  Senator  ?  Eighteen  years  ago  Harrington  was 
driving  a  delivery  wagon  for  a  packing  firm,  and  there 
are  to-day  on  the  West  Side  retail  marketmen  who  re 
member  his  calls  at  their  places.  We  believe  that  his 
first  rise  in  fortune  came  when,  in  souie  tricky  way, 
he  got  hold  of  a  broken-down  sausage  plant,  which  he 
sold  later  to  the  redoubtable  Strauss.  But  it  was  not 
until  the  year  '95,  when  the  notorious  American  Meat 
Products  Company  was  launched,  that  Harrington 


THE    SENATORSHIP  317 

emerged  from  the  obscurity  of  the  Stock  Yards.  That 
corporation,  conceived  in  fraud,  promoted  by  bribery, 
was  the  child  of  his  fertile  brain.  Not  content  with  this 
enterprise,  he  became  involved  in  railroad  promotion  in 
the  Southwest,  and  he  and  his  man  Friday,  Slocum,  were 
celebrated  as  the  most  skilful  manipulators  of  legislative 
lobbies  ever  seen  in  the  experienced  state  of  Texas. 

"  What  will  Harrington  represent  in  the  Senate,  assum 
ing  that  he  will  be  able  to  buy  his  way  there  ?  Will  he 
represent  the  great  state  of  Illinois,  —  the  state  of  Lincoln, 
of  Douglas,  of  Oglesby  ?  He  will  represent  the  corrupt 
Vitzer  and  the  traction  interests  of  Chicago,  the  infamous 
Dosserand  and  the  gas  gang  — above  all,  he  will  represent 
the  packers'  combine,  —  Joe  Strauss,  Jenks,  '  big  John  ' 
Carmichael.  These  citizens,  who  are  secretly  preparing  to 
perpetrate  the  greatest  piece  of  robbery  this  country  has 
ever  witnessed,  propose  to  seat  Harrington  in  the  United 
States  Senate  as  their  personal  representative.  Can  the 
degradation  of  that  once  honorable  body  be  carried  to  a 
greater  depth  ?  " 

It  was  not  a  flattering  description  of  myself,  but  Tom 
Stevens,  the  proprietor  of  the  Thunderer,  always  hated 
Strauss  and  his  crowd,  and  the  papers  had  to  say  some 
thing.  To  offset  that  dose,  the  Vermilion  County  Herald 
printed  a  pleasant  eulogy  describing  me  as  a  type  of  the 
energy  and  ability  of  our  country,  —  "  the  young  man  of 
farmer  stock  who  had  entered  the  great  city  without 
a  dollar  and  had  fought  his  way  up  to  leadership  in  the 
financial  world  by  his  will  and  genius  for  commerce. 


818     THE   MEMOIRS    OF   AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

Such  practical  men,  who  have  had  training  and  experi 
ence  in  large  affairs,  are  the  suitable  representatives  of  a 
great  commercial  people.  The  nation  is  to  be  congratu 
lated  on  securing  the  services  of  men  of  Mr.  Harrington's 
ability,  who  could  with  so  much  more  profit  to  them 
selves  continue  in  the  career  of  high  finance." 

The  only  trouble  with  this  puff  was  that  it  was  com 
posed  in  the  office  of  my  lawyers  and  paid  for  at  high  rates. 
But,  so  far  as  affecting  the  result,  the  Thunderer  and  the 
Vermilion  County  Herald  were  about  on  a  par.  The 
order  had  gone  out  from  headquarters  that  I  was  to  be 
sent  to  the  Senate  to  take  Parkinson's  vacant  seat,  and, 
unless  a  cyclone  swept  the  country  members  off  their 
feet,  to  the  Senate  I  should  go.  All  that  I  had  to  do  was 
to  wait  the  final  roll-call  and  pay  the  bills. 

My  old,  tried  counsellor,  Jaffrey  Slocum,  was  managing 
this  campaign  for  me.  We  could  not  use  him  at  Spring- 
Held,  however ;  for  by  this  time  he  was  too  well  known 
as  one  of  the  shrewdest  corporation  lawyers  in  the  West. 
lie  represented  the  United  Metals  Trust,  among  other 
corporations,  and  had  done  some  lively  lobbying  for  them 
of  late.  He  was  a  rich  man  now,  and  weighed  several 
stone  more  than  he  did  when  he  and  I  were  living  at  Ma 
rierson's  joint.  He  was  married,  and  had  a  nice  wife, 
an  ambitious  woman,  who  knew  what  her  husband  was 
worth.  She  might  push  him  to  New  York  or  Washing 
ton  before  she  was  done.  Meantime,  it  was  settled  that 
he  should  take  care  of  the  packers'  merger,  when  that 
came  off,  and  that  business  would  mean  another  fortune 
for  him. 


THE    SENATORSHIP  319 

One  day,  while  the  election  was  still  pending,  I  went 
over  to  see  Jules  Carboner.  The  old  fellow  was  cheery 
as  ever,  and  as  pleased  to  see  me  as  if  I  had  been  a  good 
boy  just  home  from  school.  We  had  some  of  his  strong 
coffee  and  talked  things  over. 

"  By  the  way,"  he  said,  as  I  was  leaving,  "  let  me  tell 
you  now  how  we  happened  to  get  hold  of  that  block  of 
Products'  stock." 

And  he  explained  to  me  the  mystery  of  that  stock, 
which  had  saved  my  life,  so  to  speak,  at  a  critical  time. 
It  seems  that  about  three  months  before  the  war  scare, 
when  there  were  bad  rumors  about  Meat  Products  all 
over  the  city,  Dround  had  placed  his  stock  in  the  hands 
of  a  New  York  firm  of  bankers.  I  suppose  he  was 
ashamed  to  let  me  know  that  he  was  going  to  break  his 
last  promise  to  me.  For  if  he  didn't  tell  those  bankers 
to  offer  Strauss  his  stock,  he  knew  that  was  just  what 
they  would  do.  So  much  for  the  scrupulous  Henry  I ! 
The  bankers  felt  around  and  tried  to  strike  a  bargain 
with  the  great  packer,  and  negotiations  were  under  way 
for  some  time  about  the  stock.  That  gave  our  enemies 
the  confidence  to  sell  us  short.  They  thought  that,  in 
case  the  market  went  wrong,  they  could  put  their  hand 
on  Dround's  stock.  Just  at  this  point  Carboner  received 
word  where  the  stock  was  and  orders  to  buy  it.  He 
went  to  New  York  the  next  day  and  bought  it  outright, 
paying  all  it  was  worth,  naturally.  .  .  . 

I  came  back  from  Carboner's  place  through  Newspaper 
Row.  On  the  boards  in  front  of  the  offices  one  could 
read  in  large  red  and  blue  letters :  — 


JO     THK    MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

HARRINGTON   SAID   TO    BE   SLATED   FOR   THE 

SENATE 
FINAL   BALLOT   TO-DAY 

Men  passing  on  their  way  home  from  their  work 
paused  to  read  the  bulletin,  and  I  stopped,  too.  A  group 
of  laboring  men  were  gathered  about  the  door  of  a  build 
ing  near  by,  and  from  the  numbers  entering  and  leaving 
the  place  I  judged  that  some  kind  of  meeting  was  in 
progress  within.  As  I  stood  there  my  attention  was 
caught  by  a  man  who  went  in  with  several  others. 
Something  about  the  man's  back  reminded  me  of  my 
brother  Will,  and  I  followed  into  the  building  and 
upstairs  to  a  smoky  room,  where  the  men  were  standing 
about  in  groups,  talking  together,  only  now  and  then 
paying  any  attention  to  the  speaker  on  the  platform. 
He  was  a  fat,  round  little  fellow,  and  he  was  shouting 
himself  out  of  breath  :  — 

"  Yes  !  I  tell  you  right  here,  you  and  your  children  are 
sold  like  so  many  hogs  over  at  the  Yards.  Don't  you 
believe  it  ?  What  do  you  pay  for  meat  ?  What  do  you 
pay  for  every  basket  of  coal  you  put  in  your  stoves? 
The  millionnaires  there  at  Washington  make  the  laws  of 
this  free  country,  and  who  do  they  make  them  for  ?  Don't 
you  know?  Do  they  make  'em  for  you,  or  for  Joe 
Strauss?  They  are  putting  one  of  their  kind  in  the 
Senate  from  this  state  right  now!"  .  . 

So  he  rambled  on,  and  having  sampled  his  goods, 
and  not  seeing  the  face  I  was  looking  for,  L  was  mov 
ing  toward  the  door,  when  I  was  arrested  by  the  voice 
of  a  man  who  began  to  speak  over  in  one  corner. 


THE    SEXATORSHIP 


321 


"  That's   so.      I   know   him ! "   he   shouted,    and    the 
attention  of  the  room  was  his.      The   men   around  him 


Men  paused  to  read  the  bulletin,  and  I  stopped,  too. 

moved  back,  and  I  could  see  that  the  speaker  was  Will. 
He  was  dressed  in  a  long  waterproof  coat,  and  his  hat 


322     THE   MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 


was  tipped  back  on  his  head.  An  untrimmed  black 
beard  covered  the  lower  half  of  his  face.  "  I  can  tell 
you  all  about  him,"  he  continued  in  a  thin,  high  voice. 

"  He's  the  man  who  got  a 
bill  through  Congress  giv 
ing  himself   and  his   part 
ners    a    slice   of   land    out 
of    the    Indian    Territory. 
He's  the  man  who  kept  the 
Texas    legislature    in    his 
hire  the  same  as  a  servant." 
Generally   when   I   hear 
this    kind  of   sawing-air  I 
go  about  my  business.    The 
discontented  always  growl 
at  the  other  fellow's  bone. 
Give  them  a  chance  at  the 
meat,  and   see   how   many 
bites    they    would    make! 
It's    hopeless    to    try   and 
winnow  out  the  truth  from 
the  mass  of  lies  they  talk 
about    the    trusts,   capital, 
the   tariff,  corruption,   and 
the  rest  of  it.     But  it  hurt 
all  the  same  to  have  Will 

say  such  things  about  me 

"  He's  the  man  who  sold  scraps  and  offal  to  the  Gov 
ernment  for  canned  beef  - 

"  That's  a  lie  !  "  I  spoke  out  promptly. 


ff's  the  man  who  sold  scraps 
and  offal  to  the  Government 
for  canned  beef — 


THE    SENATORSHIP  323 

"  Don't  I  know  what  I  am  saying  ?  Didn't  I  try  to 
live  on  the  rancid,  rotten  stuff?  My  God,  I've  got  some 
home  now  I  could  show  you  !  " 

Will  turned  to  see  who  had  contradicted  him,  and 
recognized  me. 

"You  ought  to  know  better  than  that,"  I  replied, 
directly  to  him.  "Some  of  it  was  rotten,  but  not  the 
Meat  Products'  goods.  We  lost  on  our  contract,  too, 
what's  more." 

Will  was  a  little  startled,  but  he  steadied  himself  soon 
and  said  again  :  — 

"  That's  the  same  thing.  You  were  all  the  same 
crowd." 

"  Xo ;  that  wasn't  so,"  I  remonstrated,  "  and  you 
ought  to  know  it." 

The  men  in  the  room  had  stopped  their  talking 
and  were  craning  their  heads  to  look  at  us.  Will 
and  I  eyed  each  other  for  a  time ;  then  I  turned  to  the 
crowd  and  made  the  first  and  last  real  public  speech 
of  my  life. 

"That's  all  a  d d  lie  about  the  beef  ice  sold  the 

Government.  I  know  it  because  I  inspected  it  myself. 
And  I  gave  my  own  money,  too,  to  support  men  at  the 
front,  and  that  is  more  than  any  of  you  fellows  ever 
did.  And  the  rest  of  the  talk  these  gentlemen  have 
been  giving  you  is  just  about  as  wrong,  too.  Let  me 
tell  you  one  thing:  if  you  folks  were  honest,  if  you 
didn't  send  rascals  to  Springfield  and  to  Congress,  if  you 
weren't  ready  to  take  a  dollar  and  club  a  man  if  he 
didn't  hand  it  over,  there  wouldn't  be  this  bribery  busi- 


324     THE   MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

ness.  I  know  it,  because  Fve  got  the  club  over  and 
over  again.  And  one  thing  more,  it's  no  more  use  for  you 
and  I  to  kick  about  the  men  who  put  their  money  into 
trusts  than  it  would  be  to  try  to  swallow  all  the  water  in 
the  lake.  That's  the  way  business  has  got  to  be  done 
nowadays,  and  if  it  weren't  done  you  folks  would  starve, 
and  your  wives  and  children  would  starve  —  " 

"  Who  are  you  ? "  some  began  to  shout,  interrupting 
me. 

"  I  am  E.  V.  Harrington !  "  I  called  back. 

Then  they  hooted :    "  Hello,  Senator.      Put  him  out ! " 

I  turned  toward  Will,  and  called  to  him  :  — 

"  Come  on !     I  want  to  have  a  word  with  you,  Will." 

He  followed  me  downstairs  into  a  saloon.  Some  of 
the  loafers  who  had  heard  our  talk  upstairs  came  in 
and  crowded  up  to  the  bar,  and  I  set  up  the  drinks 
all  around  several  times.  Will  wouldn't  take  any 
whiskey.  Then  the  bartender  let  us  into  a  little  room 
at  the  end  of  the  bar,  where  we  could  be  by  ourselves. 

"  Will !  "  I  exclaimed,  "  whatever  has  happened  to 
you  ?  " 

It  wrung  my  heart  to  see  what  a  wreck  he  was. 
He  had  let  his  beard  grow  to  cover  up  his  wasted  face. 
His  eyes  were  sunk  and  bloodshot.  The  old  waterproof 
covered  a  thin  flannel  coat. 

"  I'm  all  right,"  he  replied  gloomily.  "  What  do  you 
want  of  me?" 

"  I  want  you  to  come  out  and  get  some  dinner  with  me, 
first,"  I  said. 

But  he  shook  his  head,  saying  he  must  go  home  to  May. 


THE   SENATORSHIP  325 

"It  ain't  no. use,  Van,"  he  added,  in  a  high,  querulous 
voice.  "  We  don't  belong  together.  May  and  I  are  of 
the  people  —  the  people  you  fatten  on." 

"  Quit  that  rot !     I  am  one  of  the  people,  too." 

"  Oh,  you're  Senator,  I  expect,  by  this  time,"  he  sneered. 
"  What  did  it  cost  you,  Van  ?  " 

"  I  don't  want  to  talk  politics." 

"  That's  all  I  care  to  talk.  I  want  to  get  a  chance  to 
show  you  fellows  up  one  of  these  days.  I'm  considering 
a  proposition  for  part  control  of  a  paper — a  labor  weekly." 

So  he  talked  for  a  while  about  his  scheme  of  getting 
hold  of  a  little  three-cent  outfit  and  making  it  into  an 
organ  of  kick  and  criticism.  He  had  seen  life  from  the 
inside  during  the  war,  he  explained,  and  he  wanted  to  give 
the  public  the  benefit  of  his  experience.  He  had  a  snarl 
for  every  conceivable  thing  that  was,  and  he  was  eager  to 
express  it.  When  I  showed  him  that  such  an  attitude 
was  dead  against  American  feeling,,  he  accused  me  of  try 
ing  to  suppress  his  enterprise  because  it  was  aimed  at  my 
friends,  "  the  thieves  and  robbers."  It  was  hopeless  to 
argue  with  him,  and  the  more  we  talked  the  worse  I  felt. 
He  was  just  bitter  and  wild,  and  he  kept  saying :  "  You 
taught  me  what  it  meant !  You  showed  me  what  it  was 
to  be  rich ! "  The  war  had  ruined  his  health  and  weak 
ened  his  mind.  The  gentle,  willing  side  in  him  had 
turned  to  fury.  He  was  a  plain  crank  now! 

'•'  I'll  buy  this  paper  for  you  —  or  I'll  start  a  new  one  for 
you  to  curse  me  and  my  friends  with  —  if  you'll  just  take 
May  and  the  children  and  go  down  to  my  farm  in  the 
country.  There  are  two  thousand  acres  down  there,  Will, 


326     THE    MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

and  you  can  do  as  you  please  on  the  place.  When  you've 
got  back  your  health,  then  you  can  start  in  to  baste  me 
as  good  as  you've  a  mind  to." 

But  he  refused  to  compromise  his  "cause."  So  we 
parted  at  the  door  of  the  saloon,  he  buttoning  up  his  old 
raincoat  and  striding  out  for  the  West  Side  without  a 
look  back  to  me.  And  as  I  hailed  a  cab  to  take  me  to 
the  club  I  heard  in  my  ears  that  charge,  "  You  taught 
me  what  it  meant  to  be  rich,  Van  ! "  It  made  me  mad, 
but  it  hurt  just  the  same. 

Though  I  knew  perfectly  well  that  I  was  not  respon 
sible  for  his  crankiness,  yet  I  thought  that  if  he  could 
have  kept  on  at  business  under  me  he  would  have  been 
all  right,  earning  a  good  living  for  his  wife  and  children, 
and  not  taking  up  with  thoughts  he  hadn't  the  mind  to 
think  out.  For  Will  was  not  one  to  step  safely  out  of  the 
close  ranks  of  men,  but  he  was  always  a  mighty  faithful 
worker  wherever  he  was  put.  And  now  he  was  just  a 
crank  —  good  for  nothing. 


CHAPTER   XXX 

THE    COST 

A  dinner  at  the  Metropolitan  Chtb —  Old  friends  and  enemies  — 
A  conservative  Senator — Pleasant  speeches  —  A  favor  for  Henry 
I — I  plan  a  gift  for  a  tried  friend  —  I  find  that  I  have  nothing 
to  give  —  Slocum's  confession  —  Aims  in  life  —  The  Supreme 
Bench  —  What  money  can't  buy  —  Slocum  pays  for  both 

A  NUMBER  of  men  gave  me  a  dinner  that  evening  at  the 
Metropolitan  Club.  Steele,  Lardner,  Morrison  (of  the  New 
York  and  Chicago  Hallway  Company),  Joe  Strauss,  Jenks, 
Cannichael,  and  Bates  were  there,  among  others  —  all 
leaders  in  the  community  in  various  enterprises.  Not  all 
these  gentlemen  had  looked  with  favor  on  my  political  as 
pirations  ;  but,  when  they  saw  that  I  could  win  this  trick 
as  I  had  others,  they  sidled  up  to  me.  After  all,  no  mat 
ter  what  they  might  think  of  me  personally,  or  of  my 
methods,  they  felt  that  I  belonged  to  their  crowd  and 
would  be  a  safe  enough  man  to  have  in  the  Senate. 

Just  as  we  sat  down,  Slocum,  who  had  been  called  to 
the  telephone,  came  up  to  me,  a  smile  on  his  wrinkled 
face,  and  said,  raising  his  right  hand  :  — 

"Gentlemen,  the  legislature  at  Springfield  has  elected 
Mr.  Harrington  to  fill  the  unexpired  term  of  the  late 
Senator  Parkinson.  Gentlemen,  three  cheers  for  Senator 


Harrington  ! 


327 


328     THK    MKMOLMS    OF    AN    AM  KIJK'AX    CITIZEN 

As  the  men  raised  their  champagne  glasses  to  drink  to 
me,  Slocum  shook  me  warmly  by  the  hand,  a  smile  broad 
ening  over  his  face.  Although,  as  I  told  them,  it  had 
never  been  my  part  to  talk,  I  said  a  few  words,  thanking 
them  for  their  good-will,  and  promising  them  that  I 
should  do  my  best  to  serve  the  interests  of  the  country 
we  all  believed  was  the  greatest  nation  that  had  ever 
been.  My  old  friend  Orlando  Bates,  the  president  of 
the  Tenth  National,  replied  to  my  talk,  expressing  the 
confidence  my  associates  had  in  me.  In  the  course 
of  his  graceful  speech  he  said,  "  Mr.  Harrington  is  so 
closely  identified  with  the  conservative  interests  of  the 
country  that  we  can  feel  assured  he  will  stand  as  a  bul 
wark  against  the  populistic  clamor  so  rife  in  the  nation  at 
the  present  time."  And  young  Harvey  Sturm,  also  a  bank 
president,  who  followed  him  with  a  glowing  speech, 
made  flattering  references  to  the  work  I  had  done  "  in 
upbuilding  our  glorious  commonwealth."  After  depre 
cating  the  growth  of  socialistic  sentiments  and  condemn 
ing  the  unrestricted  criticism  of  the  press  in  regard  to 
capital,  he  closed  with  a  special  tribute :  "  Such  men  as 
Edward  Harrington  are  the  brains  and  the  will  of  the 
.nation.  On  their  strong  shoulders  rests  the  progress  of 
America.  Were  it  not  for  their  God-given  energy,  their 
will,  their  genius  for  organization,  our  broad  prairies,  our 
great  forests,  our  vast  mines,  would  cease  to  give  forth 
their  wealth  !  " 

There  was  more  of  the  same  sort  of  talk  before  we  broke 
up.  Afterward,  as  the  theatres  and  the  opera  closed, 
men  dropped  in  to  hear  the  news,  and  many  of  them 


THE. COST  329 

came  up  to  congratulate  me.  Among  others  old  Dround 
wandered  into  the  club  in  the  course  of  the  evening,  and, 
some  one  having  told  him  that  I  had  been  elected  Sen 
ator,  he  came  up  to  the  corner  where  I  was  standing  with 
a  group  of  men,  and  hovered  around  for  a  time,  trying  to 
get  a  word  with  me.  After  a  while  I  stepped  out  and 
shook  hands  with  him. 

"  I  am  very  glad  to  hear  this,  Mr.  Harrington,''  he  said 
slowly,  pressing  my  hand  in  his  trembling  fist.  "  I  have 
always  believed  that  our  best  men  should  take  an  interest 
in  the  government  of  their  country." 

His  eyes  had  a  wandering  expression,  as  if  he  were 
trying  in  vain  to  remember  something  out  of  the  past, 
and  he  continued  to  deliver  his  little  speech,  drawing  me 
to  one  side  out  of  hearing  of  the  men  who  were  standing 
there.  "  I  thought  once  to  enter  public  life  myself,"  he 
said,  "but  heavy  business  responsibilities  demanded  all 
my  attention.  I  wonder,"  he  lowered  his  voice  confi 
dentially,  "  if  you  will  not  find  it  possible  to  further  the 
claims  of  my  old  friend  Paxton's  son.  He  desires  to 
secure  a  diplomatic  post.  I  have  urged  his  merits  on 
the  President,  and  secured  assurance  of  his  good-will ; 
but  nothing  has  yet  been  done.  I  cannot  understand 
it." 

Eri  Paxton  was  a  dissipated,  no-account  sort  of  fellow, 
but  I  assured  Henry  I.  Dround  that  I  would  do  my  best 
for  him.  That  was  the  least  that  the  past  demanded  of 
me! 

So  it  went  on  until  past  midnight,  and  the  club  began 
to  empty,  and  I  was  left  with  a  few  friends  about  me. 


330     THE    MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

When  they  went  I  took  Slocum  up  to  my  room  for  a  last 
cigar  before  bed.  We  had  some  private  matters  to  settle 
in  connection  with  the  election. 

"  You  pulled  out  all  right,  Van,"  he  said  when  we  were 
alone.  "  l>ut  there  wasn't  much  margin." 

"  I  trusted  Carmichael  —  I  knew  John  wouldn't  go 
back  on  me." 

We  sat  and  smoked  awhile  in  silence.  Now  that  I  had 
picked  the  plum,  the  feeling  came  over  me  that  Slocum 
ought  to  have  had  it.  With  that  idea  I  burst  out  at 
last :  - 

"I've  been  thinking  of  one  thing  all  along,  Slo  —  and 
that  is:  What  can  I  do  for  you  when  I  am  Senator? 
Name  what  you  want,  man,  and  if  it's  in  my  power  to 
get  it,  it  shall  be  yours.  Without  you  I'd  never  have 
been  here,  and  that's  sure." 

"  I  never  cared  much  for  politics,"  he  replied  thought 
fully.  «  I  guess  there  isn't  anything  I  want,  which  is 
more  than  most  of  your  friends  can  say  !  " 

"Something  in  the  diplomatic  service?"!  suggested. 
He  shook  his  head.  ' 

"How  about  a  Federal  judgeship  —  you  can  afford  to 
go  out  of  practice." 

"  Yes,  I  can  afford  to  go  on  the  bench !  "  he  replied 
dryly.  "  But  it's  no  use  to  talk  of  it." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"You  ought  to  know,  Van,  that  that  is  one  thing  that 
can't  be  bought  in  this  country,  not  yet.  I  could  no  more 
get  an  appointment  on  the  Federal  bench  than  you 
could  !  " 


THE   COST  331 

"  You  mean  on  account  of  that  old  story  ?  That's  out 
lawed  years  ago ! " 

"You  think  so?  The  public  forgets,  but  lawyers  re 
member,  and  so  do  politicians.  The  President  may  make 
rotten  appointments  anywhere  else,  but  if  he  should 
nominate  me  for  the  Circuit  bench  there  would  be  such 
a  howl  go  up  all  over  that  he  would  have  to  withdraw  me. 
And  he  knows  too  much  to  try  any  such  proposition." 

It  was  no  use  to  argue  the  question,  for  the  lawyer  had 
evidently  been  over  the  whole  matter  arid  knew  the  facts. 

"  It  isn't  that  bribery  matter,  Van,  alone ;  I  have  been 
hand  and  glove  with  you  fellows  too  long  to  be  above 
suspicion.  My  record  is  against  me  all  through.  It  isn't 
worth  talking  about.  ...  I  have  had  my  pay  :  I  am  a 
rich  man,  richer  than  I  ever  expected  to  be  when  I  put 
foot  in  Chicago.  I  have  no  right  to  complain." 

But  I  felt  that,  in  spite  of  all  he  said,  that  wasn't 
enough  —  somehow  the  money  did  not  make  it  square  for 
him.  As  the  night  passed,  he  warmed  up  more  than  I 
had  ever  known  him  to  in  all  the  years  we  had  worked 
together,  and  he  let  me  see  some  way  inside  him.  I  re 
member  he  said  something  like  this :  — 

"  There  were  three  things  I  promised  myself  I  would 
do  with  my  life.  That  was  back  in  my  senior  year  at 
Bowdoin  College.  I  was  a  poor  boy  —  had  borrowed  from 
a  relative  a  few  hundred  dollars  to  go  through  college 
with,  and  felt  the  burden  of  that  debt  pretty  hard.  Well, 
of  those  three  purposes,  one  was  for  myself.  First,  I 
promised  myself  I  would  pay  back  my  uncle's  loan.  That 
was  a  simple  matter  of  decency.  He  was  not  a  rich  man, 


332     THE   MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

and  his  children  felt  rather  sore  at  his  letting  me  have 
those  six  hundred  dollars  to  spend  on  a  college  education. 
I  managed  to  do  that  out  of  what  I  earned  as  a  law  clerk 
the  first  years  we  were  together  at  Ma  Pierson's.  The 
next  thing  I  had  promised  myself  was  to  buy  back  our  old 
brick  house  in  the  aristocratic  part  of  Portland  — the 
house  my  father  had  been  obliged  to  part  with  after  the 
panic  of  70.  I  meant  to  put  my  mother  and  sisters  in 
it.  The  only  sister  I  have  living  is  there  now  with  her 
children.  My  mother  died  in  her  old  home,  and  that 
has  always  been  a  comfort  to  me.  .  .  .  You  may  think 
it  was  my  desire  to  do  this  that  made  me  stick  by  you 
when  we  had  that  difference  about  the  Chicago  and  Lon 
don  bonds,  but  you  are  mistaken.  I  went  with  you,  Van, 
because  I  wanted  to  — just  that.  I  saw  then  what  it 
meant,  and  I  am  not  kicking  now. 

"  Well,  the  third  aim  I  set  myself  when  I  was  specu 
lating,  as  college  boys  do  about  such  things,  was  the 
hardest  of  all.  The  others,  with  reasonable  success,  I 
could  hope  to  accomplish.  And  I  did  fulfil  them  sooner 
than  I  had  any  reason  to  hope  I  should.  The  third  was 
a  more  difficult  matter,  and  that  was  my  ambition  to 
sit  some  day  on  the  Supreme  Bench.  There  were  two 
members  of  our  family  who  had  been  distinguished 
judges,  one  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Maine,  and  another 
of  Ilie  Federal  Supreme  Court,  back  in  the  early  forties. 
I  had  always  heard  these  two  men  referred  to  with  the 
greatest  respect  in  our  family,  especially  my  great-uncle, 
Judge  Lambert  Cushing.  Although  by  the  time  I  came 
to  college  our  family  had  reached  a  pretty  low  ebb,  it 


THE    COST 


333 


was  natural  that  I  should  secretly  cherish  the  ambition 
to  rise  to  the  high-water  mark. 

"  And,"  he  concluded,  "  after  thirty  years  of  contact 
with  the  world,  I  haven't  seen  much  that  is  more  worthy 


11  So  you  see  there  t'.s  nothiny,  Van,  that  you  can  (jive  me  that  I 
should  want  to  take.'1'' 

of  a  man's  ambition  in  our  country  than  a  seat  on  our 
Supreme  Bench.  I  have  no  reason  to  be  ashamed  of  my 
three  aims  in  life.  Two  of  them  I  made  —  the  third 
I  might  never  have  come  near  to,  anyway  ;  but  I  chucked 
away  my  chance  a  good  many  years  ago.  However,  I 


334     THi:    MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

have  done  pretty  well  by  myself  as  it  is.  So  you  see 
there  is  nothing,  Van,  that  you  can  give  me  that  I  should 
want  to  take." 

He  reached  for  another  cigar,  and  stretched  his  long 
legs.  It  was  the  first  time  he  had  ever  spoken  to  me 
from  the  bottom  of  his  heart,  and  now  that  he  had  re 
vealed  the  truth  about  himself,  there  was  nothing  to 
be  said.  He  was  not  just  the  ordinary  corporation 
lawyer,  who  sells  his  learning  and  his  shrewdness  for 
a  fat  fee.  I  had  run  up  against  that  kind  often  enough. 
They  are  an  indispensable  article  to  the  modern  man  of 
affairs ;  for  the  strategy  of  our  warfare  is  largely  directed 
by  them.  But  Jaffrey  Slocum  was  much  more  than  such  a 
trained  prostitute  :  he  was  a  man  of  learning  and  a  lover 
of  the  law  for  its  o\vn  sake.  I  suspect  that  if  he  had 
ever  sat  on  the  bench  he  would  have  been  a  tough  nut 
for  the  corporations.  .  .  . 

"There's  no  better  proverb,  my  friend,  than  the  old 
one  about  the  way  you  make  your  bed,"  Slocum  summed 
up,  rising  to  go.  "  It  don't  trouble  you,  perhaps,  because 
you  are  made  different.  You  are  made  to  fit  the  world  as 
it  is  to-day." 

AVith  that  he  bade  me  good  night  and  went  away.  I 
sat  on  by  myself  for  some  time  afterward,  thinking,  think 
ing  of  it  all !  Very  likely  if  Slocum  could  have  had  his 
desire,  and  gone  on  the  Supreme  Bench,  he  would  not 
have  found  it  all  he  had  painted  it  as  a  boy.  P»ut 
whether  it  was  foolish  or  not  for  him  to  set  such  store 
by  that  prize,  it  was  beyond  his  reach,  and  tjie  man  who 
had  done  most  to  put  him  out  of  the  race  was  I.  I  had 


THE   COST  335 

needed  him,  and  I  had  taken  him  —  that  was  all  there 
was  to  that.  He  had  sold  himself  to  me,  not  just  for 
money,  but  for  friendship  and  admiration,  —  for  what 
men  of  his  kind  sell  themselves.  For  in  all  the  world 
there  was  not  enough  money  to  pay  him  for  selling  him 
self —  he  had  as  much  as  said  so  to-night.  Now,  when 
I  wanted  to  give  him  the  gift  that  he  had  earned  by 
years  of  devotion,  there  was  nothing  in  my  hands  that 
was  worth  his  taking  ! 

Thinking  of  this,  I  forgot  for  the  time  being  that  I 
was  Senator  from  the  state  of  Illinois. 


CHAPTER   XXXI 

FURTHER    COST 

I  go  to  sec  May  —  A  cottage  on  the  West  Side —  May  comes  to  the 
door  —  Pleading  —  Stiff-necked  virtue —  A  discussion  of  patriot 
ism —  We  wash  dishes  and  dispute —  Old  times  —  One  woman's 
character  —  Possibilities  — Hard  icords  —  Rejected  gifts  —  Even 
to  the  children — Who  shall  judge  ? —  Another  scale  and  a 
greater  one 

THE  cab  drew  up  before  a  one-story  frame  house  that 
stood  back  in  the  lot,  squeezed  between  two  high  brick 
buildings.  This  was  the  number  on  Ann  Street,  over 
on  the  West  Side,  that  Will  had  given  me  when  I  had 
pressed  him  for  his  address.  The  factories  had  pretty 
well  surrounded  this  section  of  the  city,  leaving  here  and 
there  some  such  rickety  shanty  as  this  one.  There  were 
several  children  playing  in  the  strip  of  front  yard,  and  as 
I  opened  the  gate  one  of  them  called  out,  "  Hello,  Uncle 
Van ! » 

It  was  Will's  second  son,  little  Van.  He  said  his 
mother  was  at  home,  and,  taking  my  hand,  he  showed  nn- 
around  the  cottage  to  the  back  door.  The  boy  pnundrd 
on  the  door,  and  May  came  to  see  what  w;is  tin-  nialti-r. 

"  Is  that  you,  Van  ?  "  she  asked,  as  if  she  expected 
me.  "  Will  said  he  saw  you  the  other  day." 

336 


FURTHER    COST  337 

She  did  not  invite  me  in,  but  the  little  boy  held  open 
the  door  and  I  walked  into  the  kitchen.  The  breakfast 
things  were  piled  up  in  the  sink,  unwashed.  A  boiler  of 
clothes  was  on  the  fire,  and  May  had  her  sleeves  rolled 
up,  ready  to  begin  the  wash.  Her  arms  were  as  thin  as 
pipe-stems,  and  behind  her  glasses  I  saw  deep  circles  of 
blue  flesh.  She  had  grown  older  and  thinner  in  the 
three  years  since  she  and  Will  left  my  house  for  good. 

"Will's  gone  to  the  city,"  May  remarked. 

"  He  don't  look  strong,  May.  It  made  me  feel  bad  to 
see  him  so  —  changed,  not  a  bit  like  himself." 

She  seemed  to  bridle  a  little  at  this. 

"  He  hasn't  been  real  well  since  he  had  the  fever  at 
Montauk.  He  was  reinfected  at  the  hospital,  and  nearly 
died.  When  he  got  out  he  tried  farming  down  in  Texas, 
but  his  strength  didn't  come  back  as  we  expected,  and 
the  climate  was  too  hot  for  him.  So  we  came  North  to  see 
if  he  could  get  some  easier  work." 

"  How  are  the  children  ? "  I  asked,  seeing  a  strange 
baby  face  peep  around  the  corner  of  the  clothes-basket. 

"  We  lost  the  baby  boy  while  Will  was  at  Montauk. 
Another  little  girl  has  come  since  then.  We  call  her 
Sarah." 

She  waited  a  moment,  and  then  asked  hesitatingly :  — 

"  How's  your  Sarah  ?  She  didn't  look  well  when  I  saw 
her  last." 

"  No  —  she's  been  delicate  some  time  —  since  our  boy 
died,  last  summer.  She's  gone  to  Europe  with  the  girls 
for  a  change." 

Then  we  were  silent;    there  was  not  much  more  we 


338    TIIK  MK.Moins  OF  AN  AMERICAN  CITIZEN 

could  say  without  touching    t]i<>  quick.      jjut  at   last  I 
burst  out :  — 

"  May,  why  wouldn't  you  take  that  money  I  sent  you 
while  Will  was  away  at  the  war  ?  " 

"  We  could  manage  without  it.  It  was  kind  of  you, 
though.  You  have  always  been  kind,  Van !  " 

"You  might  have  known  it  would  make  us  happy  to 
have  you  take  it.  It  was  only  what  I  owed  to  the  coun 
try,  too,  seeing  that  I  was  so  placed  I  couldn't  goto  Cuba. 
I  wanted  then  to  leave  everything  and  enlist.  But  it 
wouldn't  have  been  fair  to  others.  1  sent  some  men  in 
my  place,  though." 

Perhaps  it  sounded  a  little  like  apologizing.  M;iv 
listened  with  a  smile  on  her  lips  that  heated  me. 

"You  are  just  like  that  preacher!"  I  exclaimed. 
"You  can  see  no  good  in  folks  unless  it's  your  kind  of 
good.  Don't  you  believe  I  have  got  some  real  patriotism 
in  me  ?  " 

"It's  hard  to  think  of  Van  Harrington,  the  new  Sen 
ator,  as  a  patriot,"  she  laughed  back.  «  Those  men  you 
sent  to  the  front  must  have  come  in  handy  for  the 
election  ! " 

I  turned  red  at  her  little  fling  about  the  Senatorship: 
my  managers  lad  worked  that  company  I  equipped  for 
all  it  was  worth. 

"I  guess  there  are  a  good  many  worse  citizens  than  I 
am.  I  wanted  to  light  for  those  fellows  down  in  Cuba. 
And  you  wouldn't  let  me  do  the  little  I  could— help 
Will  to  take  my  place." 

''  After  all  that  happened,  Van,  we  couldn't  take  it." 


FURTHER    COST  339 

"  And  I  suppose  you  don't  want  to  touch  anything 
from  me  now !  See  here,  May.  I  came  over  this  morning 
to  do  something  for  you  and  Will.  Did  he  tell  you  about 
my  wanting  him  to  go  down  to  my  place  in  the  country 
until  he  got  well  and  strong  ?  " 

"He's  much  interested  in  this  paper,  and  thinks  he 
can't  get  away,"  she  said  evasively. 

"  Darn  his  paper  !  You  don't  believe  Will  was  cut  out 
to  be  a  thinker  ?  Anyhow,  he  ought  to  get  his  health 
back  first,  and  give  you  an  easier  time,  too." 

"  I  am  all  right.  Will  is  very  much  in  earnest  about 
his  ideas.  You  can't  get  him  to  think  about  himself." 

"  Well,  I  don't  mind  his  trying  to  reform  the  earth. 
If  later  on  he  wants  a  paper  to  whack  the  rich  with,  I'll 
buy  him  one.  Come,  that's  fair,  isn't  it  ?  " 

May  laughed  at  my  offer,  but  made  no  reply. 

"  If  you  folks  are  so  obstinate,  if  I  can't  get  you  to  go 
down  to  my  place,  I'll  have  to  turn  it  into  a  school  or 
something.  A  fellow  I  was  talking  with  on  the  train 
the  other  day  gave  me  an  idea  of  making  it  into  a  sort 
of  reform  school  for  boys.  What  would  you  think  of 
that  ?  Sarah  is  taken  with  the  idea  —  she  never  liked 
the  place  and  won't  want  to  go  back,  now  that  the  baby 
died  there." 

"That's  a  good  plan  —  turning  philanthropist,  Van? 
That's  the  right  way  to  get  popular  approval,  Senator." 

She  mocked  me,  but  her  laugh  rang  out  good-naturedly. 

"  Popular  approval  never  worried  me  much.  But,  May, 
I  want  your  good-will,  and  I  mean  to  get  it,  too." 

For  the  more  obstinate  she  was,  the  more  she  made 


340     TH1<:    MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

me  eager  to  win  my  point,  to  bring  her  and  Will  back  to 
me.  She  understood  this,  and  a  flash  of  her  old  will  and 
malice  came  into  her  thin  face.  She  got  up  to  stir  the 
clothes  on  the  fire,  and  when  the  water  began  to  run 
over  I  stripped  off  my  coat  and  put  my  hand  to  the  job. 
Then  I  stepped  over  to  the  sink. 

"  Do  you  remember  how  I  used  to  wash  while  you 
wiped,  when  we  wanted  to  get  out  buggy-riding,  May  ?  " 

"  Yes,  and  you  were  an  awful  shiftless  worker,  Senator,''' 
May  retorted,  fetching  a  dish-towel  from  th>-  rack  and 
beginning  to  wash,  while  1  wiped.  "  And  you  had  the 
same  smooth  way  with  you,  though  in  those  days  you 
hadn't  ten  cents  to  your  name.  And  no\v,  how  much  is 
it?" 

"  Oh,  say  a  quarter  !  " 

"  Then  it  must  have  cost  you  a  sight  of  money  to 
become  Senator." 

"  It  did  some,  but  I  kept  back  a  little." 

When  we  had  finished  the  dishes  we  began  on  the 
clothes.  A  child's  dress  caught,  on  the  wringer  and  tore. 
It  was  marked  in  a  fine  embroidery  with  the  initials, 
J.  S.  H.,  for  Jaffrey  Slocum  Harrington  —  as  wre  had 
thought  to  call  the  little  chap.  May  saw  me  look  at  the 
initials. 

•  "  Sarah  sent  it  to  me  along  with  a  lot  of  baby  things 
when  my  Jack  came.  Perhaps  she  might  like  to  have 
them  back  now." 

"  She  and  the  girls  come  home  next  week.  Won't  you 
come  and  see  her  ?  She'd  care  more  for  that  than  for 
anything." 


"Do  you  remember  how  I  used  to  wash  while  you  wiped,  when 
we  wanted  to  get  out  buggy-riding,  May?" 

341 


:}{-2    TMI-:  MKMOIMS  OF  AN  AM;:I;H'AN  CITI/KN 

"  You  were  always  awfully  persistent  in  getting  your 
own  way,  Van  !  " 

"  But  I  didn't  always  get  it,  I  remember." 

"It  might  have  been  just  as  well  if  you  hadn't  had  it 
so  much  of  the  time  since." 

"Well,  maybe  —  " 

"There  are  a  few  other  people' in  the  world  besides 
Van  Harrington,  and  they  have  their  rights,  too." 

"That's  true  enough,  if  they  can  get  'em." 

"Maybe  their  consciences  are  a  little  stronger  to  hold 
them  back  from  getting  things.  You  never  held  oft'  long 
when  you  wanted  a  thing,  Van.  Yrou  took  the  peaches, 
you  remember  ?  " 

Her  lips  curled  in  the  way  that  used  to  set  me  mad 
for  her. 

"  t  didn't  eat  a  peach,"  I  protested.  "  I  gave  them  to 
your  brothers,  and  I>udd  Haines." 

"  Yes,  you  gave  them  !  " 

"  I  don't  believe  you  think  me  half  as  bad  as  you  make 
me  out!"  I  said,  stopping  the  wringer  and  looking  into 
her  eyes. 

"  You  don't  know  how  bad  I  make  you  out,"  she  chal 
lenged  my  look. 

It  was  not  hard  to  see  why  I  had  been  crazy  to  marry 
her  in  the  old  days.  There  was  a  fire  in  IHT  which  no 
other  woman  I  ever  saw  possessed.  Jane  was  large- 
minded,  keen  as  an  eagle,  and  like  steel.  l>ut  there  was 
a  kind  of  will  in  this  worn  woman,  a  hanging  to  her 
self,  which  gave  her  a  character  all  her  own.  Neverthe 
less,  we  two  couldn't  have  travelled  far  hitched  together. 


FURTHER    COST  343 

She  would  have  tried  her  best  to  run  me,  and  life  would 
have  been  hell  for  us  both. 

"  Well,"  I  protested  in  my  own  defence,  "  there's  no 
man  and  no  woman  living  has  the  right  to  say  he's  the 
worse  off  on  my  account.  I  have  treated  the  world  fairly 
where  it  has  treated  me  fairly." 

"  So  that's  your  boast,  Van  Harrington !  It's  pretty 
hard  when  a  man  has  to  say  a  thing  like  that  to  defend 
his  life.  You  don't  know  how  many  men  you  have 
ruined  like  that  poor  Hostetter.  But  that  isn't  the 
worst.  The  very  sight  of  men  like  yon  is  the  worst  evil 
in  our  country.  You  are  successful,  prosperous,  and  you 
have  ridden  over  the  laws  that  hindered  you.  You 
have  hired  your  lawyers  to  find  a  way  for  you  to  do  what 
you  please.  You  think  you  are  above  the  law  —  just 
the  common  laws  for  ordinary  folks!  You  buy  men  as 
you  buy  wheat.  And  because  you  don't  happen  to  have 
robbed  your  next-door  neighbor  or  ruined  his  daughter, 
you  make  a  boast  of  it  to  me.'  It's  pretty  mean,  Van, 
don't  you  think  so  ?  " 

We  had  sat  down  facing  each  other  across  the  tub  of 
clothes.  As  she  spoke  her  hot  words,  I  thought  of  others 
who  had  accused  me  in  one  way  or  another,  —  E arson, 
Will,  Slocum,  —  most  of  all,  Slocum.  But  I  dismissed 
this  sentimental  reflection. 

"Those  are  pretty  serious  charges  you  are  making, 
May,"  I  replied  after  a  time.  "  And  what  do  you  know? 
What  the  newspapers  say.  There  are  thousands  of 
newspaper  men  all  over  this  country  who  get  a  dollar  or 
two  a  column  for  that  sort  of  mud.  Then  these  same 


344     THE   MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

fellows  come  around  to  us  and  hold  out  their  hands  for 
tips  or  bribes.  You  take  their  lies  for  proved  facts.  1 
have  never  taken  the  trouble  to  answer  their  charges,  and 
never  shall.  I  will  answer  for  what  I  have  done." 

"To  whom?"  May  asked  ironically.  "To  God?  I 
should  like  to  see  Van  Harrington's  God !  He  must  be 
different  from  the  One  I  have  prayed  to  all  these  years." 

"  Maybe  he  has  more  charity,  May  !  " 

"Are  you  asking  for  charity  —  my  charity  as  well  as 
God's  ?  "  she  blazed. 

"Well,  let  that  go!  I  shall  answer  to  the  people 
now." 

"Yes  !  And  God  help  this  country,  now  that  men  like 
you  have  taken  to  buying  seats  there  at  Washington  !  " 

\Ve  said  nothing  for  a  while  after  this,  and  then  I  rose 
to  go. 

"  We  don't  get  anywhere  this  way,  May.  I  came  here 
wanting  to  be  friends  with  you  and  Will  —  wanting  to 
help  my  brother.  You  needn't  take  my  money  if  you 
think  it's  tainted.  But  can't  you  feel  friendly  ?  You 
are  throwing  me  off  a  second  time  when  I  come  to  you 
asking  for  your  love." 

She  flushed  at  the  meaning  under  my  words,  and  re 
plied  in  a  lower  voice  :  — 

"  It  would  do  no  good,  Van.  You  are  feeling  humble 
just  now,  and  remorseful,  and  full  of  old  memories.  But 
you  don't  want  my  love  now,  in  real  truth,  more  than  you 
did  before."  Her  face  crimsoned  slowly.  "If  you  had 
wanted  it  then,  you  would  have  stayed  and  earned  it." 

"  And  1  could  have  had  it  ?  " 


FURTHER    COST  345 

Instead  of  answering  she  came  up  to  me  and  took  my 
arms  in  her  two  hands  and  pulled  my  head  to  her. 

"  Good-by,  A7an  !  "  she  said,  kissing  me. 

As  I  stepped  out  of  the  door  I  turned  for  the  last  time  : 

"  Can't  you  let  me  do  something  for  my  brother,  who  is 
a  sick  man  ?  " 

Tears  came  to  her  eyes,  but  she  shook  her  head. 

"I  know  he's  sick,  and  likely  to  fail  in  what  he's 
doing.  But  it  can't  be  helped  !  " 

Outside  little  Van  was  sitting  on  the  ground  playing 
with  a  broken  toy  engine.  I  put  my  hand  on  his  little 
tumbled  head,  and  turned  to  his  mother  :  — 

"  I  suppose  you  wouldn't  let  him  touch  my  money, 
either  ?  » 

She  smiled  back  her  defiance  through  her  tears. 

"  You  had  rather  he'd  grow  up  in  the  alley  here  than 
let  me  give  him  an  education  and  start  him  in  life ! " 

I  waited  several  moments  for  her  answer. 

"  Yes  !  "  she  murmured  at  last,  very  faintly. 

The  little  fellow  looked  from  his  mother  to  me  curi 
ously,  trying  to  make  out  what  we  were  saying. 

i/X 

'  So  I  went  back  to  the  city,  having  failed  in  my  pur 
pose.  I  couldn't  get  that  woman  to  yield  an  inch.  She 
had  weighed  me  in  her  scales  and  found  me  badly  want 
ing.  I  was  Senator  of  these  United  States,  from  the 
great  state  of  Illinois ;  but  there  was  Hostetter,  and  the 
old  banker  Farson,  and  my  best  friend  Slocum,  and  my 
brother  Will,  and  May,  and  their  little  children,  who 
stood  to  one  side  and  turned  away.  \ 


346     THE    MEMOIRS    OF    AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

The  smoke  of  the  city  I  had  known  for  so  long  drifted 
westward  above  my  head.  The  tall  chimneys  of  the 
factories  in  this  district  poured  forth  their  stream  to 
swell  the  canopy  that  covered  the  heavens.  The  whir  of 
machinery  from  the  doors  and  windows  of  the  grimy 
buildings  filled  the  air  with  a  busy  hum ;  the  trucks 
ground  along  in  the  car  tracks.  Traffic,  business,  indus 
try, —  the  work  of  the  world  was  going  forward.  A  huge 
lumber  boat  blocked  the  river  at  the  bridge,  and  while 
the  tugs  pushed  it  slowly  through  the  draw,  I  stood  and 
gazed  at  the  busy  tracks  in  the  railroad  yards  below  me, 
at  the  line  of  high  warehouses  along  the  river.  \  I,  too, 
was  a  part  of  this.  The  thought  of  my  brain,  the  labor 
of  my  body,  the  Avill  within  me,  had  gone  to  the  making 
of  this  world.  There  were  my  plants,  my  car  line,  my 
railroads,  my  elevators,  my  lands  —  all  good  tools  in  the 
infinite  work  of  the  world.  Conceived  for  good  or  for 
ill,  brought  into  being  by  fraud  or  daring  —  what  man 
could  judge  their  worth  ?  There  they  were,  a  part  of 
God's  great  world.  They  were  done;  and  mine  was  the 
hand.  Let  another,  more  perfect,  turn  them  to  a  larger 
use ;  nevertheless,  on  my  labor,  on  me,  he  must  build. 

Involuntarily  my  eyes  rose  from  the  ground  and  looked 
straight  before  me,  to  the  vista  of  time.  Surely  then- 
was  another  scale,  a  grander  one,  and  by  this  I  should 
not  be  found  wholly  wanting !  — ^ 


CHAPTER   XXXII 

THE    EXD 

The  senatorial  party —  Mrs.  Jenks' s  pearls —  Gossip —  One  good 
deed  —  The  Duchess  brand  —  /  take  my  seat  in  the  Senate  — 
lied  roses 

WHEN  it  came  time  to  go  to  Washington  to  take  my 
seat,  my  friend  Major  Frederickson,  of  the  Atlantic  and 
Great  Western  road,  placed  his  private  car  at  my  disposal 
and  made  up  a  special  train  for  my  party.  Sarah  and  the 
girls  had  come  back  from  Paris  in  time  to  accompany  me 
to  Washington.  The  girls  were  crazy  over  going;  they 
saw  ahead  a  lot  of  parties  and  sights,  and  I  suppose  had 
their  ideas  about  making  foreign  matches  some  day.  The 
boy  was  to  meet  us  there,  and  he  was  rather  pleased,  too, 
to  be  the  son  of  a  SenatorJ 

Among  those  who  made  the  trip  with  us  there  were 
Slocuni  and  his  wife,  of  course,  John  Carmichael,  young 
Jenks  and  his  pretty  little  wife,  and  a  dozen  or  more 
other  friends.  We  had  a  very  pleasant  and  successful 
journey.  A  good  deal  of  merriment  was  occasioned  by 
a  string  of  pearls  that  young  Mrs.  Jenks  wore,  which  had 
lately  been  the  talk  of  the  city.  The  stones  were  of 
unusual  size  and  quality,  and  had  been  purchased  through 
a  London  dealer  from  some  titled  person.  Jenks  had 

347 


348     THE   MEMOIRS    OF   AN    AMERICAN    CITIZEN 

given  them  as  a  present  to  his  wife  because  of  the  success 
of  the  beef  merger,  which  had  more  than  doubled  the  for 
tune  old  Randolph  Jenks  left  him  when  he  died.  The 
pearls,  being  so  perfect  and  well  known  in  London,  caused 
a  lot  of  newspaper  talk.  They  were  said  to  be  the  finest 
string  in  the  United  States ;  there  were  articles  even  in 
the  magazines  about  Mrs.  Jenks  and  her  string  of  pearls. 
Finally,  some  reporter  started  the  story  that  there  was  a 
stone  for  every  million  dollars  Jenks  had  "  screwed  out 
'T  of  the  public  by  the  merger  "  —  twenty-seven  in  all.  (For 
)  these  days  there  was  beginning  to  be  heard  all  over  the 
/  clamor  about  the  price  of  food,  and  how  the  new  combi- 
/  nation  of  packers  was  forcing  up  prices  —  mere  guess- 
]  work  on  the  part  of  cheap  socialistic  agitators  that  was 
being  taken  seriously  by  people  wrho  ought  to  know 
better.)  One  paper  even  had  it  that  pretty  little  Mrs. 
Jenks  "  flaunted  around  her  neck  the  blood-bought  price 
of  a  million  lives  !  " 

So  it  had  come  to  be  a  sort  of  joke  among  us,  that 
string  of  pearls.  Whenever  I  saw  it,  I  would  pretend 
to  count  the  stones  and  ask  Mrs.  Jenks  how  111:111  v 
more  million  lives  she  was  wearing  around  her  neck 
to-night.  She  would  laugh  back  in  her  pretty  little 
Southern  drawl :  — 

"  The  papers  do  say  such  dreadful  things !  Pretty 
soon  I  shan't  dare  to  wear  a  single  jewel  in  public. 
Ralph  says  it's  dangerous  to  do  it  now,  there  are  so 
many  cranks  around.  Don't  you  think  it's  horrid  of 
them  to  talk  so?" 

Sarah  had  her  string  of  pearls,  too,  but  it  was  much 


THE    END  349 

smaller  than  the  famous  one  of  Mrs.  Jenks.  Sarah 
didn't  altogether  like  Mrs.  Jenks,  and  used  to  say  that 
she  plastered  herself  with  jewels  to  show  who  she  was. 

Well,  the  pearls  went  to  Washington  with  us  on  this 
trip,  and  made  quite  a  splendid  show,  though  we  used 
to  joke  Ralph  Jenks  about  sitting  up  nights  to  watch  his 
wife's  necklace.  The  fame  of  the  pearls  had  got  to 
Washington  ahead  of  us,  and  the  Washington  Eagle 
had  a  piece  in  about  the  arrival  at  the  Arlington  of 
the  new  Senator  from  Illinois  and  the  "  packers'  contin 
gent  "  with  their  pearls !  People  used  to  turn  around 
in  the  corridors  and  stare  at  us  —  not  so  much  at  the 
new  Senator  as  at  Mrs.  Jenks's  pearls ! 

I  had  already  taken  a  house  in  Washington  for  the 
winter,  and  Sarah  soon  was  busy  in  having  it  done  over 
for  us.  We  had  shut  up  the  Chicago  house,  and  after 
discussing  the  matter  with  Sarah  I  concluded  to  turn 
over  the  Vermilion  County  property  lo  a  society,  to  be 
used  for  a  reform  school.  Sarah  talked  it  over  with 
the  young  fellow  I  met  on  the  train,  who  first  put  the 
idea  into  my  head,  and  she  seemed  to  take  great  pleasure 
in  the  plan,  wanting  me  to  give  an  endowment  for  the 
institution,  which  I  promised  as  soon  as  my  packing- 
company  stock  was  straightened  out.  Now  that  I  had 
failed  to  put  Will  and  his  family  down  there,  as  I  had 
set  my  heart  on  doing,  I  had  no  more  wish  to  go  back  to 
the  place  than  Sarah  had.  And  as  a  home  to  take  boys 
to  who  hadn't  a  fair  chance  in  life,  it  might  do  some  good 
in  the  world. 


"It  was  fjood  sausage,  Slo !    At  least  it  was  when  we  made  U." 


350 


THE    END  351 

It  was  a  pleasant,  warm  day  when  my  colleague,  Sena 
tor  Drummond,  came  to  escort  me  to  the  Senate.  My 
secretary  and  Slocum  accompanied  us  up  the  broad  steps 
toward  the  Senate  chamber.  As  we  turned  in  from  the 
street  with  the  Capitol  rising  before  us,  my  eye  fell  upon 
a  broad  advertising  board  beside  the  walk,  on  a  vacant 
piece  of  property.  One  of  the  conspicuous  advertisements 
caught  my  attention  :  — 

THE  DUCHESS  BRAND 

STRICTLY  FARM-MADE  SAUSAGE 

BEST  IN  THE  WORLD 

It  was  one  of  Strauss's  "ads."  Slocum  pointed  to  it 
with  a  wave  of  his  hand  and  glanced  at  me;  and  I 
thought  I  caught  a  smile  on  the  lips  of  my  colleague, 
which  might  have  been  scornful.  So  I  paused  before  we 
passed  beyond  sight  of  the  sign  of  the  Duchess  brand. 

"It  was  good  sausage,  Slo !  At  least  it  was  when  -we 
made  it." 

"And  it  did  pretty  well  by  you  !  "  he  laughed. 

Senator  Drummond  had  moved  forward  with  my  sec 
retary.  "  Yes  !  The  Duchess  was  all  right."  Then  we 
followed  the  others  slowly  up  the  great  steps.  .  .  . 

In  the  Senate  chamber,  in  one  of  the  galleries,  a  group 
of  women  were  sitting  about  Sarah,  waiting  to  see  me 
take  the  oath.  One  of  them  waved  a  handkerchief  at 
me,  and  as  I  looked  up  I  caught  sight  of  Mrs.  Jenks's 
pearls  when  she  leaned  forward  over  the  rail. 

On  my  desk  there  was  a  bunch  of  American  Beauty 
roses  :  I  did  not  have  to  look  for  the  card  to  know  that 
they  had  come  from  Jane. 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 

LOAN  DEPT. 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below,  or 

on  the  date  to  which  renewed. 
Renewed  books  are  subject  to  immediate  recall. 


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